Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $726 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mombasa

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $726 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Mombasa $726

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,140 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Mombasa $1,140

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,553 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Mombasa $1,553

Nosara costs about 153% more than Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Mombasa is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$2.65 KES 343

361.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$24.75 KES 3,210

143.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.36 KES 1,343

-27.22%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.75 KES 357

56.73%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.68 KES 88.1

152.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.52 KES 67.1

159.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.28 KES 296

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.33 KES 432

34.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.99 KES 128

58.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.53 KES 69.3

498.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.52 KES 197

59.21%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.75 KES 227

104.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$13.89 KES 1,802

-46.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.92 KES 639

111.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$5.42 KES 703

152.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.17 KES 282

6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.15 KES 149

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.77 KES 230

167.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.71 KES 91.6

133.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.74 KES 95.8

402.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.05 KES 136

240.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.60 KES 78.0

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.46 KES 59.4

454.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.99 KES 517

24.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$9.71 KES 1,259

106.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.93 KES 250

44.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.90 KES 377

21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.80 KES 103

48.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$39.24 KES 5,089

83.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.17 KES 411

-29.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.76 KES 229

-11.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$4.49 KES 583

97.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.59 KES 206

-1.26%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

79.91%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

184.90%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$76.8 KES 9,958

21.71%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$9.20 KES 1,194

281.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$34.52 KES 4,478

49.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$18.03 KES 2,339

296.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$19.39 KES 2,515

82.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$15.22 KES 1,974

-48.49%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$85.5 KES 11.1K

472.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$5,377 KES 697.4K

120.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$13.31 KES 1,727

302.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$13.57 KES 1,760

310.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$23.10 KES 2,996

243.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$46.02 KES 5,969

71.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$231 KES 30.0K

240.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$157 KES 20.3K

397.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$538 KES 69.8K

617.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$374 KES 48.5K

276.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$5,456 KES 707.6K

27.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$3,836 KES 497.6K

-68.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$318 KES 41.3K

175.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-33.69%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Mombasa

$157 21.8% 79.9% $623

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Mombasa

$186 26% 46.7% $163

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Mombasa

$108 15.1% 48.4% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Mombasa

$121 16.8% 33.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Mombasa

$43 6% 64.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mombasa

$48 6.8% 44.3% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mombasa

$54 7.6% 37.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $231 in Mombasa. 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 175% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $25.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $186 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

23:15 11:15 PM

08:15 8:15 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Mombasa 13,950 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mombasa

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 Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $726 in Mombasa – roughly 153% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,089 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $25.00 in Mombasa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $726 in Mombasa. That's a gap of about 153%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $726 in Mombasa to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mombasa. 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.