Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kununurra

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,495 in Kununurra, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Kununurra
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,495
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kununurra

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 Kununurra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,495 in Kununurra.

  • Nosara $1,837
  • Kununurra $2,495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $3,588 in Kununurra.

  • Nosara $2,775
  • Kununurra $3,588

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $4,682 in Kununurra.

  • Nosara $3,712
  • Kununurra $4,682

Living in Nosara costs roughly 26% less than in Kununurra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Kununurra 86% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Kununurra
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 ₡5,509
$17.56 A$25.23
-30.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.2 ₡27.1K
$84.1 A$121
-28.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₡3,399
$10.60 A$15.22
-28.87%
Cappuccino
$4.31 ₡1,941
$4.09 A$5.87
5.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡773
$2.86 A$4.10
-39.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₡608
$2.28 A$3.28
-40.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,459
$7.80 A$11.21
-58.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48 ₡2,018
$7.65 A$10.98
-41.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Kununurra
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡707
$1.62 A$2.33
-3.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 ₡1,429
$2.77 A$3.99
14.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 ₡1,091
$2.16 A$3.10
12.04%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,609
$4.88 A$7.00
-26.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,349
$9.46 A$13.59
-21.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 ₡4,697
$9.26 A$13.30
12.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.66 ₡6,156
$14.74 A$21.17
-7.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ₡1,044
$3.76 A$5.40
-38.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡728
$3.02 A$4.33
-46.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 ₡2,138
$3.27 A$4.70
44.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 ₡747
$4.64 A$6.67
-64.22%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 ₡1,679
$2.76 A$3.97
34.78%
Onion (1kg)
$3.57 ₡1,611
$2.50 A$3.59
42.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₡497
$2.34 A$3.36
-52.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,149
$1.58 A$2.27
61.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.95 ₡2,232
$27.62 A$39.68
-82.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.01 ₡9,020
$14.17 A$20.35
41.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,256
$4.85 A$6.96
-42.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ₡1,589
$5.36 A$7.70
-34.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Kununurra
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₡537
$2.90 A$4.16
-58.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.1 ₡32.5K
$82.8 A$119
-13.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ₡1,011
$3.58 A$5.14
-37.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 ₡701
$1.64 A$2.35
-5.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₡3,993
$39.47 A$56.7
-77.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡708
$1.28 A$1.83
22.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₡9.8M
$26.7K A$38.4K
-18.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K ₡15.6M
$29.8K A$42.8K
16.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Kununurra
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.5 ₡42.1K
$208 A$299
-55.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.11 ₡15.8K
$28.38 A$40.77
23.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 ₡23.2K
$57.4 A$82.4
-10.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Kununurra
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.4 ₡32.2K
$55.4 A$79.6
28.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 ₡16.0K
$17.83 A$25.61
98.77%
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 ₡3,535
$15.26 A$21.92
-48.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Kununurra
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡220.7K
$2,182 A$3,134
-77.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.4M
$20.2K A$29.0K
-41.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Kununurra
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ₡24.1K
$76.6 A$110
-30.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 ₡25.1K
$53.8 A$77.3
3.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 ₡35.7K
$111 A$159
-28.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 ₡35.6K
$124 A$178
-36.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Kununurra
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$786 ₡354.3K
$1,394 A$2,003
-43.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 ₡351.6K
$1,206 A$1,732
-35.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,860 ₡1.7M
$2,137 A$3,069
80.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 ₡634.4K
$1,843 A$2,647
-23.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,972 ₡3.1M
$5,881 A$8,447
18.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,201 ₡541.3K
$5,000 A$7,182
-75.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Kununurra
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 ₡395.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
5.84
47.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kununurra: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$780
Kununurra
$1.2K 54.6% $426
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Kununurra
$369 5.6% $20
Eating Out
Nosara
$209
Kununurra
$296 41.4% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$180
Kununurra
$294 63.1% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Kununurra
$164 36.5% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Kununurra
$86 1.3% $1.1
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Kununurra
$106 22.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $1,394 in Kununurra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $84.0 in Kununurra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $369 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇦🇺 Kununurra
🕒 Local time
21:49 9:49 PM
11:49 11:49 AM
14 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
5,300
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Kununurra 16,240 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Kununurra

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 Kununurra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Kununurra?
Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Kununurra. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nosara and in Kununurra?
You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $3,742 in Kununurra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Nosara compared to Kununurra?
Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $1,394 in Kununurra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Nosara and in Kununurra?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $84.0 in Kununurra. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Nosara compared to Kununurra?
All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $2,495 in Kununurra – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Nosara or in Kununurra?
At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,495 in Kununurra, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Kununurra. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Kununurra?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.
How safe is Nosara compared to Kununurra?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Kununurra are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Kununurra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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