Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Topeka, KS and in Nosara: $1,922 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

94

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,922

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Topeka, KS vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Topeka, KS $1,922
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,865 per month in Topeka, KS vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Topeka, KS $2,865
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,807 per month in Topeka, KS vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Topeka, KS $3,807
Nosara $3,818

Topeka, KS costs about 5% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Topeka, KS and Nosara sit above the global median – Topeka, KS by 42%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.47 $13.47

$12.35 ₡5,539

9.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-15.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$7.52 ₡3,373

31.25%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$4.41 ₡1,978

-22.90%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$1.74 ₡780

29.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.31 ₡587

32.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.28 ₡1,471

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.47 ₡2,004

97.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.56 ₡701

-48.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.02 ₡1,355

-11.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.51 ₡1,125

19.12%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$3.57 ₡1,603

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$7.43 ₡3,333

21.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 $8.24

$10.52 ₡4,717

-21.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$13.97 ₡6,265

5.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.35 ₡1,052

98.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.61 ₡720

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.80 ₡2,152

7.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.61 ₡724

161.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.80 ₡1,703

-10.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.69 ₡1,657

-31.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.13 ₡507

62.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.66 ₡1,191

-68.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 $8.85

$5.18 ₡2,321

70.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$19.88 ₡8,916

-38.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.90 ₡1,300

-36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.63 ₡1,626

-54.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.12 ₡504

258.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 $50.3

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-30.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.14 ₡958

28.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 $33.70

$8.52 ₡3,823

295.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.52 ₡682

-38.16%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

11.05%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.68%

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

$143 $143

$96.3 ₡43.2K

48.81%

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

$48.04 $48.04

$35.89 ₡16.1K

33.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

23.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.74 $44.74

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-37.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 $15.30

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-56.17%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 $15.25

$7.89 ₡3,539

93.28%

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

$438 $438

$494 ₡221.6K

-11.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.30 $38.30

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-29.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 $28.87

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-47.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 $80.8

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$788 ₡353.4K

0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 $853

$794 ₡356.2K

7.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-66.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 $1,467

$1,419 ₡636.5K

3.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,292 $1,292

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-81.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 $1,342

$1,224 ₡549.0K

9.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,554 $3,554

$864 ₡387.3K

311.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

8.62

-27.61%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Topeka, KS

$853 44.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 6.8% $58

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$319 16.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 10.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$257 13.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 27.8% $72

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$234 12.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 9.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.7% $14

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$77 4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 13.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$75 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 16.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $790 in Topeka, KS 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.

Salaries run about 312% higher in Topeka, 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 $52.0 in Topeka, KS versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $352 – making Topeka, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

1 h behind Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Topeka, KS Nosara 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,922 in Topeka, KS, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Topeka, KS 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 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 44% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $438 per month in Topeka, KS and $494 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 $1,839, than in Topeka, KS at $1,922. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Topeka, 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $1,922 in Topeka, 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, Topeka, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.