Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wichita, KS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,219 in Wichita, KS, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

106

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Wichita, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,219

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,219 per month in Wichita, KS vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Wichita, KS $2,219
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,196 per month in Wichita, KS vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Wichita, KS $3,196
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,172 per month in Wichita, KS vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Wichita, KS $4,172
Nosara $3,712

Wichita, KS costs about 21% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wichita, KS and Nosara sit above the global median – Wichita, KS by 66%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$12.22 ₡5,509

49.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-0.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$7.54 ₡3,399

44.69%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.31 ₡1,941

28.77%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.72 ₡773

41.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.35 ₡608

36.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.24 ₡1,459

58.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.48 ₡2,018

35.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.57 ₡707

-45.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.17 ₡1,429

20.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.42 ₡1,091

89.26%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.57 ₡1,609

9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$7.43 ₡3,349

53.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$10.42 ₡4,697

-2.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.85 $17.85

$13.66 ₡6,156

30.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.32 ₡1,044

160.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.61 ₡728

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.74 ₡2,138

10.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.66 ₡747

209.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.72 ₡1,679

-21.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.57 ₡1,611

-18.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.10 ₡497

105.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.55 ₡1,149

-9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.55 $9.55

$4.95 ₡2,232

92.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$20.01 ₡9,020

-25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.79 ₡1,256

-20.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.53 ₡1,589

10.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.19 ₡537

43.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 $54.4

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-24.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.24 ₡1,011

12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.55 ₡701

1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.35 $40.35

$8.86 ₡3,993

355.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.57 ₡708

-40.13%

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

$38.1K $38.1K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

74.62%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-29.33%

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

$268 $268

$93.5 ₡42.1K

186.90%

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

$82.9 $82.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

136.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$51.5 ₡23.2K

32.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.58 $30.58

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-57.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 $20.29

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-42.75%

Cinema Ticket

$14.81 $14.81

$7.84 ₡3,535

88.90%

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

$909 $909

$490 ₡220.7K

85.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

35.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.13 $47.13

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-11.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.21 $31.21

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-44.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$79.3 ₡35.7K

42.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$78.9 ₡35.6K

75.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 $1,006

$786 ₡354.3K

28.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 $762

$780 ₡351.6K

-2.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 $1,598

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 $1,303

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-7.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,570 $1,570

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-77.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 $1,467

$1,201 ₡541.3K

22.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,573 $3,573

$876 ₡395.0K

307.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

8.62

-22.85%

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

Last update for Wichita, KS: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wichita, KS

$762 35.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 2.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wichita, KS

$419 19.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 57% $239

Groceries & Markets

Wichita, KS

$406 18.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 14% $57

Eating Out

Wichita, KS

$301 13.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 30.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Wichita, KS

$148 6.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 18.9% $28

Getting Around

Wichita, KS

$72 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 21.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Wichita, KS

$60 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 44.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,006 in Wichita, KS versus $786 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 308% higher in Wichita, 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 $60.0 in Wichita, KS versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $406 in Wichita, KS vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wichita, KS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:52 5:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

1 h behind Wichita, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

357,698

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wichita, KS Nosara 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Wichita, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,219 in Wichita, KS, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,329 per month in Wichita, KS and $2,756 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 33% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $909 per month in Wichita, 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 $1,837, than in Wichita, KS at $2,219. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wichita, 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,219 in Wichita, 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, Wichita, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.