Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salina, KS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $1,997 in Salina, KS, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Salina, KS
Learn more

Salina, KS Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Salina, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,997

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salina, KS 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 Salina, KS and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Salina, KS vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Salina, KS $1,997
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,997 per month in Salina, KS vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Salina, KS $2,997
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,997 per month in Salina, KS vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Salina, KS $3,997
Nosara $3,814

Salina, KS costs about 9% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Salina, KS and Nosara sit above the global median – Salina, KS by 47%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$12.34 ₡5,535

21.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 $41.89

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-31.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 $9.28

$7.76 ₡3,481

19.59%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.44 ₡1,992

23.42%

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

$2.06 $2.06

$1.79 ₡803

15.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.29 ₡580

34.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.24 ₡1,451

57.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.21 $9.21

$4.43 ₡1,985

107.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.55 ₡696

-38.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.08 ₡1,380

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$2.53 ₡1,133

147.83%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$3.45 ₡1,546

35.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 $11.78

$7.32 ₡3,284

60.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$10.24 ₡4,594

-15.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 $14.60

$14.10 ₡6,326

3.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$2.29 ₡1,027

201.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.64 ₡737

31.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$4.79 ₡2,149

20.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.64 ₡735

153.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.85 ₡1,727

-10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.75 ₡1,681

2.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.09 ₡488

66.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.59 ₡1,160

-20.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 $7.96

$5.12 ₡2,295

55.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$19.92 ₡8,931

-13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.80 ₡1,255

-34.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.52 ₡1,580

-26.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.22 ₡549

65.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.08 $25.08

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-66.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.17 ₡973

135.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.56 ₡698

-18.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.35 $35.35

$8.67 ₡3,886

307.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.55 ₡697

-41.94%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.70%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-34.45%

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

$145 $145

$94.8 ₡42.5K

53.08%

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

$47.14 $47.14

$36.15 ₡16.2K

30.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$53.1 ₡23.8K

22.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-43.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.08 $34.08

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-4.35%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$7.91 ₡3,548

87.99%

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

$822 $822

$490 ₡219.9K

67.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,761 $9,761

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-17.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 $48.15

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 $34.46

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-38.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 $76.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$77.9 ₡34.9K

51.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 $762

$801 ₡359.1K

-4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 $828

$790 ₡354.1K

4.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-67.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$1,409 ₡632.0K

4.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,417 $1,417

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-79.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 $1,697

$1,236 ₡554.3K

37.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,030 $3,030

$887 ₡397.6K

241.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

8.62

-26.10%

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

Last update for Salina, KS: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salina, KS

$828 41.5%

Nosara

$790 43% 4.6% $38

Groceries & Markets

Salina, KS

$398 19.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 12.1% $48

Eating Out

Salina, KS

$273 13.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 22.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salina, KS

$257 12.9%

Nosara

$184 10% 28.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Salina, KS

$125 6.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 2.9% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Salina, KS

$72 3.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 25.2% $18

Getting Around

Salina, KS

$45 2.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 99% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $762 in Salina, KS versus $801 in Nosara. 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 242% higher in Salina, KS, 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 $42.00 in Salina, KS versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $398 in Salina, KS vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salina, KS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

09:33 9:33 AM

1 h behind Salina, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,707

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salina, KS Nosara 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Salina, KS
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

Salina, KS vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,997 in Salina, KS, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,995 per month in Salina, KS and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 195% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $822 per month in Salina, KS and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Salina, KS at $1,997. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salina, KS 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $1,997 in Salina, KS. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salina, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.