Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Naivasha

For one person, living is cheaper in Naivasha: $542 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Naivasha
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Naivasha Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Naivasha

🇰🇪 Kenya

$542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Naivasha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $542 in Naivasha.

Nosara $1,839
Naivasha $542

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $886 in Naivasha.

Nosara $2,828
Naivasha $886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,230 in Naivasha.

Nosara $3,818
Naivasha $1,230

Living in Nosara is roughly 239% more expensive than in Naivasha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Naivasha is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.48 KES 840

90.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$34.08 KES 4,419

79.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.24 KES 809

20.51%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.59 KES 336

70.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.66 KES 85.2

163.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.60 KES 78.4

118.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.25 KES 292

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.64 KES 342

69.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.84 KES 109

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.52 KES 68.0

480.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.91 KES 247

31.41%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.71 KES 222

108.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.46 KES 1,357

-28.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.51 KES 844

61.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.31 KES 818

121.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.31 KES 429

-29.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.10 KES 142

46.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.95 KES 253

146.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.14 KES 148

41.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.12 KES 145

239.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.05 KES 136

251.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.69 KES 89.5

63.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.75 KES 96.7

254.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.45 KES 447

50.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.51 KES 1,493

72.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.33 KES 302

24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.78 KES 360

30.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.52 KES 197

40.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.52 KES 198

3.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.92 KES 378

191.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.56 KES 202

-2.56%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.6K KES 2.8M

0.26%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.1K KES 2.6M

71.37%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$55.6 KES 7,204

73.28%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.22 KES 1,973

135.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$34.82 KES 4,515

53.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.56 KES 980

4.37%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$251 KES 32.5K

97.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.4K KES 1.6M

-4.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$27.97 KES 3,626

92.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$28.68 KES 3,718

93.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$70.8 KES 9,176

10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$58.7 KES 7,606

35.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$757 KES 98.1K

813.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Naivasha: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Naivasha

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Naivasha

$205 37.8% 41.8% $147

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Naivasha

$123 22.7% 41.8% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Naivasha

$106 19.5% 43.1% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Naivasha

$84 15.5% 30.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Naivasha

$15 * 2.8% 82.7% $72

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Naivasha

$9.1 * 1.7% 89.5% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $34.00 in Naivasha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $205 per month, with Naivasha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇪 Naivasha

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

13:28 1:28 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

14,563

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Naivasha 13,530 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Naivasha

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 Naivasha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naivasha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 239% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $813 in Naivasha 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.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $251 in Naivasha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Naivasha – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $542 in Naivasha versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Naivasha but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Naivasha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Naivasha is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Naivasha are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Naivasha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.