Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $809 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Shymkent

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $809 in Shymkent, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Shymkent $809

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,366 in Shymkent, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Shymkent $1,366

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,924 in Shymkent, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Shymkent $1,924

Nosara costs about 127% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Shymkent is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$11.06 ₸4,979

10.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$33.96 ₸15.3K

77.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.48 ₸2,915

16.36%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.50 ₸1,125

72.40%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.08 ₸486

59.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.50 ₸227

170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.06 ₸478

205.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.30 ₸583

244.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.45 ₸654

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.44 ₸198

620.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.75 ₸787

38.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.65 ₸743

116.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$10.07 ₸4,535

-26.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.11 ₸2,300

103.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$8.41 ₸3,787

62.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.19 ₸537

94.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.17 ₸978

-25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.45 ₸1,101

93.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.35 ₸608

22.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.51 ₸229

629.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.40 ₸181

792.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.92 ₸416

19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.79 ₸355

222.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.42 ₸1,091

104.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$4.40 ₸1,981

354.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.06 ₸479

163.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.51 ₸682

133.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.15 ₸68.0

693.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.83 ₸375

169.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.36 ₸163

330.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$9.79 ₸4,408

-9.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.60 ₸271

161.67%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$27.8K ₸12.5M

-21.52%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$29.1K ₸13.1M

19.21%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$47.16 ₸21.2K

98.16%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$9.06 ₸4,078

287.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$15.10 ₸6,799

240.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$38.81 ₸17.5K

83.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$8.55 ₸3,849

314.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.63 ₸2,533

39.25%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$56.9 ₸25.6K

760.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$35.94 ₸16.2K

48.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$33.11 ₸14.9K

68.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$181 ₸81.6K

-56.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$51.4 ₸23.1K

53.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$333 ₸149.8K

136.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$197 ₸88.8K

295.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$693 ₸311.9K

457.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$556 ₸250.3K

153.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,109 ₸499.1K

528.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$975 ₸439.0K

23.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$437 ₸196.9K

100.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

18.25

-52.77%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Shymkent

$197 24.9% 74.7% $583

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Shymkent

$182 23% 48% $168

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Shymkent

$152 19.2% 27.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Shymkent

$71 9% 60.4% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Shymkent

$136 17.2% 12.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Shymkent

$50 6.3% 42.5% $37

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 96.3% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $333 in Shymkent. 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 100% 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 $34.00 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $182 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

16:07 4:07 PM

12 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Shymkent 13,680 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Shymkent

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 Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $809 in Shymkent – roughly 127% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,213 in Shymkent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shymkent, 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 $34.00 in Shymkent. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $809, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Shymkent 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 $809 in Shymkent 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 Shymkent. 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.