Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benoni and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Benoni: $1,072 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Benoni
Learn more

Benoni Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Benoni

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,072

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,072 in Benoni versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Benoni $1,072
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Benoni versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Benoni $1,331
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,589 in Benoni versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Benoni $1,589
Nosara $3,818

Living in Benoni costs roughly 42% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Benoni is 21% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 R 168

$12.35 ₡5,539

-17.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.46 R 617

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-38.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 R 96.5

$7.52 ₡3,373

-22.07%

Cappuccino

$2.22 R 36.61

$4.41 ₡1,978

-49.66%

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

$1.19 R 19.64

$1.74 ₡780

-31.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 14.00

$1.31 ₡587

-35.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 R 38.33

$3.28 ₡1,471

-28.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R 45.15

$4.47 ₡2,004

-38.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.16

$1.56 ₡701

-21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.65

$3.02 ₡1,355

-62.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.33

$2.51 ₡1,125

-31.47%

Eggs

$2.46 R 40.48

$3.57 ₡1,603

-31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 R 137

$7.43 ₡3,333

11.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 R 80.1

$10.52 ₡4,717

-53.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 R 117

$13.97 ₡6,265

-49.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.55

$2.35 ₡1,052

-26.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.81

$1.61 ₡720

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.58

$4.80 ₡2,152

-62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.70

$1.61 ₡724

-3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.39

$3.80 ₡1,703

-70.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.10

$3.69 ₡1,657

-66.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.29

$1.13 ₡507

8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.97

$2.66 ₡1,191

-52.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 R 55.5

$5.18 ₡2,321

-34.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 R 83.8

$19.88 ₡8,916

-74.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.94

$2.90 ₡1,300

-47.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R 32.14

$3.63 ₡1,626

-46.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.72

$2.14 ₡958

-86.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.67

$1.57 ₡703

-43.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.73 R 243

$8.52 ₡3,823

72.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.41

$1.52 ₡682

1.32%

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

$35.1K R 578.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

62.57%

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

$32.5K R 534.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-5.93%

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

$203 R 3,342

$96.3 ₡43.2K

110.68%

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

$38.42 R 633

$35.89 ₡16.1K

7.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.63 R 604

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-31.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.06 R 297

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-74.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 R 117

$7.89 ₡3,539

-10.01%

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

$246 R 4,051

$494 ₡221.6K

-50.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,577 R 91.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-52.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 R 882

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-0.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.40 R 534

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-41.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 R 1,515

$77.9 ₡34.9K

17.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 R 1,397

$79.6 ₡35.7K

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,557

$788 ₡353.4K

-49.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 R 4,881

$794 ₡356.2K

-62.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 R 8,029

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-87.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,041 R 33.6K

$864 ₡387.3K

136.39%

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 Benoni: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Benoni

$296 27.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 168% $498

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benoni

$278 25.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 33.2% $92

Groceries & Markets

Benoni

$192 17.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 83.6% $160

Eating Out

Benoni

$151 14.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 40.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Benoni

$118 11%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 1.6% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Benoni

$32 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 171% $55

Getting Around

Benoni

$4.7 * 0.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1738% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Benoni and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 136% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Benoni vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $352 per month, with Benoni cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Benoni

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

01:04 1:04 AM

8 h behind Benoni

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,777

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 18, 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 18, 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

Benoni Nosara 12,880 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Benoni
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

Benoni vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benoni and Nosara differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,072 vs $1,839 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Benoni, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $398 in Benoni versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,072 per month in Benoni versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,072 in Benoni versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Benoni and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.