Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandra and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandra: $1,074 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Alexandra
Learn more

Alexandra Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Alexandra

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,074

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,074 per month in Alexandra vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Alexandra $1,074
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,742 per month in Alexandra vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Alexandra $1,742
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Alexandra vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Alexandra $2,409
Nosara $3,814

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

Alexandra sits 21% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.26 R 152

$12.34 ₡5,535

-24.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 R 602

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-40.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 R 88.1

$7.76 ₡3,481

-31.06%

Cappuccino

$2.20 R 36.24

$4.44 ₡1,992

-50.45%

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

$1.08 R 17.87

$1.79 ₡803

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R 13.19

$1.29 ₡580

-37.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 R 39.58

$3.24 ₡1,451

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 R 45.85

$4.43 ₡1,985

-37.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.23

$1.55 ₡696

-24.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.92

$3.08 ₡1,380

-64.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.62

$2.53 ₡1,133

-28.85%

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.11

$3.45 ₡1,546

-29.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 R 143

$7.32 ₡3,284

18.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 84.3

$10.24 ₡4,594

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 R 117

$14.10 ₡6,326

-49.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.80

$2.29 ₡1,027

-23.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.53

$1.64 ₡737

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.30

$4.79 ₡2,149

-64.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.86

$1.64 ₡735

-0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R 18.04

$3.85 ₡1,727

-71.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.39

$3.75 ₡1,681

-68.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 R 19.71

$1.09 ₡488

10.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.76

$2.59 ₡1,160

-49.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 R 52.7

$5.12 ₡2,295

-37.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 R 83.9

$19.92 ₡8,931

-74.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 R 26.08

$2.80 ₡1,255

-43.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 R 31.36

$3.52 ₡1,580

-46.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 R 21.94

$1.22 ₡549

9.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.75

$2.17 ₡973

-86.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.78

$1.56 ₡698

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.57 R 240

$8.67 ₡3,886

68.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.92

$1.55 ₡697

1.29%

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

$36.2K R 597.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

4.89%

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

$34.1K R 562.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-11.91%

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

$155 R 2,550

$94.8 ₡42.5K

63.21%

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

$36.96 R 609

$36.15 ₡16.2K

2.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.04 R 627

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-28.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.24 R 548

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-54.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.48 R 173

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-70.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 R 124

$7.91 ₡3,548

-5.18%

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

$244 R 4,019

$490 ₡219.9K

-50.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,468 R 90.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-54.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 R 899

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-0.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.16 R 530

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-42.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 R 1,540

$80.4 ₡36.0K

16.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 R 1,402

$77.9 ₡34.9K

9.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 R 6,483

$801 ₡359.1K

-50.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 R 5,468

$790 ₡354.1K

-57.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 R 13.9K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-78.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 R 13.7K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-40.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$919 R 15.1K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-86.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$644 R 10.6K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-47.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,775 R 29.2K

$887 ₡397.6K

100.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

8.62

26.57%

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

Last update for Alexandra: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alexandra

$332 30.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 138% $458

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandra

$230 21.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 19.9% $46

Groceries & Markets

Alexandra

$194 18.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 80.2% $156

Eating Out

Alexandra

$142 13.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 50.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandra

$119 11.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 1.4% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandra

$48 4.5%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 85.7% $41

Getting Around

Alexandra

$9.5 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 835% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Alexandra 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 100% higher in Alexandra, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Alexandra versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $350 – making Alexandra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Alexandra

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

07:54 7:54 AM

8 h behind Alexandra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,624

4,912

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alexandra Nosara 12,860 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Alexandra
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

Alexandra vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 71% more than Alexandra, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,612 per month in Alexandra 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 Alexandra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,074 in Alexandra and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 71%.

Kindergarten costs $244 per month in Alexandra and $490 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 Alexandra, where all-in costs run around $1,074, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Alexandra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alexandra costs $1,074 versus $1,835 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Alexandra. 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.