Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahir Dar and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahir Dar: $368 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bahir Dar

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$368

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $368 per month in Bahir Dar vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Bahir Dar $368
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $571 per month in Bahir Dar vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Bahir Dar $571
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $774 per month in Bahir Dar vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Bahir Dar $774
Nosara $3,712

Bahir Dar is about 80% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bahir Dar sits 73% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 ETB 560

$12.22 ₡5,509

-71.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$1.02 ETB 163

$4.31 ₡1,941

-76.33%

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

$0.42 ETB 66.9

$1.72 ₡773

-75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ETB 77.4

$1.35 ₡608

-64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ETB 125

$3.24 ₡1,459

-75.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ETB 319

$4.48 ₡2,018

-55.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ETB 164

$1.57 ₡707

-35.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ETB 165

$3.17 ₡1,429

-67.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 158

$2.42 ₡1,091

-59.50%

Eggs

$1.72 ETB 277

$3.57 ₡1,609

-51.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 ETB 1,604

$13.66 ₡6,156

-26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 ETB 486

$2.32 ₡1,044

30.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ETB 156

$1.61 ₡728

-39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ETB 317

$4.74 ₡2,138

-58.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 ETB 134

$1.66 ₡747

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ETB 100

$3.72 ₡1,679

-83.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 ETB 180

$3.57 ₡1,611

-68.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ETB 157

$1.10 ₡497

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ETB 82.7

$2.55 ₡1,149

-80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$3.89 ETB 625

$20.01 ₡9,020

-80.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ETB 132

$2.79 ₡1,256

-70.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ETB 314

$3.53 ₡1,589

-44.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 ETB 77.3

$1.55 ₡701

-69.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ETB 324

$8.86 ₡3,993

-77.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 ETB 158

$1.57 ₡708

-37.58%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$98.4 ETB 15.8K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

5.24%

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

$10.01 ETB 1,609

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-71.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.08 ETB 7,886

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-31.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.4 ETB 9,710

$35.44 ₡16.0K

70.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ETB 968

$7.84 ₡3,535

-23.09%

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

$50.3 ETB 8,077

$490 ₡220.7K

-89.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 ETB 8,099

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,002 ETB 321.7K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-71.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 ETB 239.1K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

23.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$197 ETB 31.6K

$876 ₡395.0K

-77.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Bahir Dar: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bahir Dar

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Bahir Dar

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Bahir Dar

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahir Dar

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Bahir Dar

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Bahir Dar

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Bahir Dar

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 345% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Bahir Dar

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:58 3:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

9 h behind Bahir Dar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 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).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bahir Dar Nosara 13,280 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Bahir Dar
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

Bahir Dar vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 400% more than Bahir Dar, 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 $551 per month in Bahir Dar and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $368 in Bahir Dar and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 400%.

Groceries cost about 181% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahir Dar, where all-in costs run around $368, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Bahir Dar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bahir Dar costs $368 versus $1,837 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 Bahir Dar. 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.