Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Taraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $628 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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 Taraz
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Taraz Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Taraz

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $628 in Taraz, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Taraz $628

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,004 in Taraz, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Taraz $1,004

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,381 in Taraz, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Taraz $1,381

Nosara costs about 193% more than Taraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Taraz is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.97 ₸4,056

37.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$22.50 ₸10.2K

171.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.75 ₸3,051

11.41%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.53 ₸691

188.24%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.85 ₸383

104.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.45 ₸204

191.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.13 ₸510

190.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.81 ₸818

146.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.09 ₸491

43.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.43 ₸196

602.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.30 ₸589

93.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.68 ₸761

112.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.13 ₸4,580

-26.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.19 ₸2,346

102.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.39 ₸3,794

66.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.15 ₸519

104.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.21 ₸997

-27.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.48 ₸1,122

93.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.37 ₸621

17.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.56 ₸251

578.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.40 ₸181

822.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.91 ₸411

24.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.84 ₸380

216.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.42 ₸1,093

114.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.41 ₸1,995

350.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.04 ₸468

178.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.54 ₸696

135.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.18 ₸82.4

522.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.85 ₸385

151.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.35 ₸158

348.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.07 ₸1,839

109.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.66 ₸301

130.30%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.1K ₸12.7M

-23.15%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.6K ₸12.5M

24.98%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$47.60 ₸21.5K

102.29%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.76 ₸3,960

309.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$9.00 ₸4,068

495.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.98 ₸16.3K

98.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.42 ₸1,996

78.51%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$58.8 ₸26.6K

740.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$26.80 ₸12.1K

101.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$34.70 ₸15.7K

59.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$113 ₸50.9K

-30.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$52.6 ₸23.8K

51.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$270 ₸121.9K

192.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$110 ₸49.6K

624.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$449 ₸203.2K

776.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$200 ₸90.4K

609.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$865 ₸391.1K

698.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$611 ₸276.3K

100.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$272 ₸123.0K

217.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

17.83

-51.65%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Taraz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Taraz

$110 17.5% 86.2% $685

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Taraz

$178 28.3% 49.6% $175

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Taraz

$125 19.9% 41.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Taraz

$65 10.4% 64.8% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Taraz

$102 16.3% 15% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Taraz

$45 7.1% 48.7% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Taraz

$3.3 * 0.5% 96.2% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $270 in Taraz. 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 218% 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 $22.00 in Taraz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $178 – making Taraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇿 Taraz

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

15:30 3:30 PM

12 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

431,160

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Taraz 13,690 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Taraz

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 Taraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $628 in Taraz – roughly 193% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $942 in Taraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taraz, 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 $61.0 in Nosara and $22.00 in Taraz. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 98% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taraz, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Taraz 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 $628 in Taraz to $1,839 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 Taraz. 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.