Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kisumu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisumu: $643 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Kisumu
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Kisumu Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kisumu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kisumu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Kisumu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $643 in Kisumu, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kisumu $643

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $972 in Kisumu, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kisumu $972

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,302 in Kisumu, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kisumu $1,302

Nosara costs about 186% more than Kisumu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Kisumu is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.67 KES 606

164.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.63 KES 3,193

148.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.54 KES 848

14.98%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.63 KES 342

67.68%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₡780

$0.67 KES 86.8

159.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.56 KES 72.9

133.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.96 KES 254

67.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.72 KES 353

64.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.56 KES 72.1

178.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.52 KES 67.0

480.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.89 KES 245

32.80%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.64 KES 212

117.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.71 KES 1,388

-30.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.28 KES 814

67.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.06 KES 656

176.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.37 KES 437

-30.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.89 KES 115

80.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.98 KES 257

142.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.11 KES 144

45.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.07 KES 139

255.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.90 KES 117

310.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.69 KES 89.4

63.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.74 KES 95.6

259.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.05 KES 395

69.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.90 KES 1,024

151.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.30 KES 298

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.36 KES 306

53.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.74 KES 96.3

51.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$23.05 KES 2,989

215.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.57 KES 204

36.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.50 KES 195

4.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.82 KES 365

202.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.62 KES 210

-6.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.5K KES 2.8M

0.54%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.6K KES 2.7M

67.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$54.9 KES 7,119

75.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.40 KES 1,997

133.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$35.59 KES 4,614

50.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$22.87 KES 2,965

213.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.70 KES 998

2.47%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$494 ₡221.6K

$115 KES 14.9K

331.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

-3.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$11.41 KES 1,479

372.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.63 KES 2,545

182.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$15.49 KES 2,008

403.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$15.27 KES 1,979

421.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$151 KES 19.6K

420.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$139 KES 18.0K

471.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$560 KES 72.6K

603.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$212 KES 27.4K

570.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$765 KES 99.2K

803.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$779 KES 101.0K

10.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

14.71

-41.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kisumu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kisumu

$139 21.6% 82.5% $655

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kisumu

$188 29.2% 46.7% $164

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kisumu

$109 16.9% 48.6% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kisumu

$106 16.5% 43% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kisumu

$28 4.3% 76.8% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kisumu

$38 6% 56.2% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kisumu

$35 5.5% 59.7% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $151 in Kisumu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $25.00 in Kisumu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $188 – making Kisumu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇪 Kisumu

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

22:30 10:30 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,155,574

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Kisumu 13,330 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kisumu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nosara vs Kisumu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 186% more than Kisumu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $964 in Kisumu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kisumu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 88% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $25.00 in Kisumu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kisumu, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kisumu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kisumu costs $643 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kisumu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.