Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Big Bend and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Big Bend: $716 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Big Bend
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Big Bend Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Big Bend

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$716

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $716 per month in Big Bend vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Big Bend $716
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,428 per month in Big Bend vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Big Bend $1,428
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,141 per month in Big Bend vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Big Bend $2,141
Nosara $3,712

Big Bend is about 61% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Big Bend sits 47% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.04 SZL 66.6

$12.22 ₡5,509

-66.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.58 SZL 455

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-54.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 SZL 83.3

$7.54 ₡3,399

-33.02%

Cappuccino

$1.53 SZL 25.22

$4.31 ₡1,941

-64.50%

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

$0.77 SZL 12.61

$1.72 ₡773

-55.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 SZL 6.78

$1.35 ₡608

-69.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 SZL 25.31

$3.24 ₡1,459

-52.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 SZL 27.25

$4.48 ₡2,018

-63.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 SZL 19.92

$1.57 ₡707

-22.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 SZL 13.63

$3.17 ₡1,429

-73.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 SZL 26.42

$2.42 ₡1,091

-33.88%

Eggs

$4.77 SZL 78.6

$3.57 ₡1,609

33.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.98 SZL 296

$7.43 ₡3,349

141.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 SZL 199

$10.42 ₡4,697

15.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.84 SZL 79.8

$13.66 ₡6,156

-64.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 SZL 69.7

$2.32 ₡1,044

82.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 SZL 10.23

$1.61 ₡728

-61.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 SZL 31.04

$4.74 ₡2,138

-60.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 SZL 20.69

$1.66 ₡747

-24.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 SZL 39.14

$3.72 ₡1,679

-36.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 SZL 34.94

$3.57 ₡1,611

-40.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 SZL 15.37

$1.10 ₡497

-15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 SZL 15.32

$2.55 ₡1,149

-63.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 SZL 96.2

$4.95 ₡2,232

17.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.58 SZL 59.0

$20.01 ₡9,020

-82.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SZL 10.32

$2.79 ₡1,256

-77.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SZL 14.62

$3.53 ₡1,589

-74.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 SZL 19.74

$1.19 ₡537

0.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.94 SZL 395

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-66.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 SZL 29.84

$2.24 ₡1,011

-19.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 SZL 24.70

$1.55 ₡701

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 SZL 61.2

$8.86 ₡3,993

-58.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 SZL 18.57

$1.57 ₡708

-28.03%

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

$12.4K SZL 204.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-43.25%

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

$18.6K SZL 306.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-46.35%

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

$129 SZL 2,125

$93.5 ₡42.1K

37.93%

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

$24.47 SZL 403

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-30.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.73 SZL 408

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-51.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.35 SZL 302

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-74.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.47 SZL 40.70

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-93.03%

Cinema Ticket

$3.12 SZL 51.4

$7.84 ₡3,535

-60.20%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.95 SZL 609

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-30.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.81 SZL 409

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-55.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.05 SZL 611

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-53.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 SZL 910

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-29.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$110 SZL 1,805

$786 ₡354.3K

-86.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.4 SZL 1,227

$780 ₡351.6K

-90.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 SZL 18.0K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-71.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 SZL 12.2K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-47.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$200 SZL 3,291

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-97.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$144 SZL 2,379

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-87.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$808 SZL 13.3K

$876 ₡395.0K

-7.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.41%

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

Last update for Big Bend: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Big Bend

$252 35.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 38.9% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Big Bend

$178 24.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 1.1% $2

Eating Out

Big Bend

$82 11.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 157% $128

Accommodation & Living

Big Bend

$74 10.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 948% $705

Clothing & Footwear

Big Bend

$69 9.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 73.6% $51

Getting Around

Big Bend

$38 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 128% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Big Bend

$25 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 254% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $110 in Big Bend 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 9% higher in Nosara, 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 $28.00 in Big Bend versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $350 – making Big Bend the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Big Bend

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

22:48 10:48 PM

8 h behind Big Bend

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,433

4,912

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to SZL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Big Bend Nosara 13,240 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Big Bend
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

Big Bend vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $716 in Big Bend, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 157% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,073 per month in Big Bend 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 Big Bend, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 201% less in Big Bend. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 39% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Big Bend, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Big Bend it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $716 in Big Bend to $1,837 in Nosara. 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 Big Bend. 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.