Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qapshaghay and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,077 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
Learn more

Qapshaghay Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,077

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Qapshaghay and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Qapshaghay and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,077 per month in Qapshaghay vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,077
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,621 per month in Qapshaghay vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,621
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,166 per month in Qapshaghay vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Qapshaghay $2,166
Nosara $3,818

Qapshaghay is about 41% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Qapshaghay sits 20% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.99 ₸4,967

$12.35 ₡5,539

-11.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.25 ₸10.1K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-63.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 ₸3,002

$7.52 ₡3,373

-11.70%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₸827

$4.41 ₡1,978

-58.50%

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

$1.03 ₸464

$1.74 ₡780

-40.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₸292

$1.31 ₡587

-50.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₸583

$3.28 ₡1,471

-60.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸594

$4.47 ₡2,004

-70.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₸760

$1.56 ₡701

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₸203

$3.02 ₡1,355

-85.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 ₸952

$2.51 ₡1,125

-15.94%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,118

$3.57 ₡1,603

-30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 ₸5,546

$7.43 ₡3,333

65.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ₸2,955

$10.52 ₡4,717

-37.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,913

$13.97 ₡6,265

-22.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$2.35 ₡1,052

-23.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₸1,033

$1.61 ₡720

42.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ₸1,305

$4.80 ₡2,152

-39.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 ₸1,289

$1.61 ₡724

77.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸339

$3.80 ₡1,703

-80.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸263

$3.69 ₡1,657

-84.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸731

$1.13 ₡507

43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$2.66 ₡1,191

-62.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.59 ₸720

$5.18 ₡2,321

-69.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ₸5,070

$19.88 ₡8,916

-43.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸570

$2.90 ₡1,300

-56.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,088

$3.63 ₡1,626

-33.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 ₸85.5

$1.12 ₡504

-83.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.82 ₸7,606

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-76.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₸365

$2.14 ₡958

-62.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$1.57 ₡703

-59.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ₸1,789

$8.52 ₡3,823

-53.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₸260

$1.52 ₡682

-62.50%

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

$21.9K ₸9.9M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

1.22%

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

$29.7K ₸13.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-14.08%

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

$90.4 ₸40.9K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-6.12%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-70.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.21 ₸8,233

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-66.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 ₸18.9K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-41.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ₸2,935

$7.89 ₡3,539

-17.74%

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

$145 ₸65.7K

$494 ₡221.6K

-70.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,498 ₸2.0M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-62.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 ₸41.0K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

68.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.03 ₸20.8K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-16.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ₸63.8K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

81.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸60.5K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

68.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₸199.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

-43.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₸137.7K

$794 ₡356.2K

-61.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₸324.4K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₸223.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-65.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 ₸538.3K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-82.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 ₸347.4K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-37.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

8.62

139.56%

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

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qapshaghay

$305 28.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 161% $490

Groceries & Markets

Qapshaghay

$246 22.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 43.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Qapshaghay

$185 17.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 35.2% $65

Eating Out

Qapshaghay

$146 13.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 45.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qapshaghay

$119 11.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 55.7% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 59.4% $33

Getting Around

Qapshaghay

$22 2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 303% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Qapshaghay versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Qapshaghay versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $352 – making Qapshaghay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:51 8:51 AM

20:51 8:51 PM

12 h behind Qapshaghay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,167

4,912

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Qapshaghay Nosara 13,780 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Qapshaghay
Nosara

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

Qapshaghay vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,077 in Qapshaghay, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 71% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,615 per month in Qapshaghay and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 332% less in Qapshaghay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $145 per month in Qapshaghay and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qapshaghay, where all-in costs run around $1,077, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Qapshaghay 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 $1,077 in Qapshaghay 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 Qapshaghay. 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.