Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bissau and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bissau: $837 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bissau

🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

$837

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $837 in Bissau versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Bissau $837
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Bissau versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Bissau $1,352
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,868 in Bissau versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Bissau $1,868
Nosara $3,712

Living in Bissau costs roughly 54% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bissau is 38% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 F CFA 3,120

$12.22 ₡5,509

-56.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.69 F CFA 15.0K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-57.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 F CFA 5,560

$7.54 ₡3,399

25.99%

Cappuccino

$1.75 F CFA 1,023

$4.31 ₡1,941

-59.40%

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

$1.03 F CFA 600

$1.72 ₡773

-40.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 F CFA 487

$1.35 ₡608

-38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 F CFA 413

$3.24 ₡1,459

-78.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 F CFA 992

$1.57 ₡707

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 F CFA 587

$3.17 ₡1,429

-68.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 F CFA 1,184

$2.42 ₡1,091

-16.53%

Eggs

$5.29 F CFA 3,093

$3.57 ₡1,609

48.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 F CFA 8,561

$7.43 ₡3,349

96.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.73 F CFA 8,033

$10.42 ₡4,697

31.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 F CFA 8,193

$13.66 ₡6,156

2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 F CFA 2,608

$2.32 ₡1,044

92.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 F CFA 622

$1.61 ₡728

-34.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 F CFA 2,558

$4.74 ₡2,138

-7.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.15 F CFA 85.3

$1.66 ₡747

-90.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 F CFA 829

$3.72 ₡1,679

-61.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 F CFA 830

$3.57 ₡1,611

-60.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 F CFA 753

$2.55 ₡1,149

-49.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 F CFA 4,062

$20.01 ₡9,020

-65.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 F CFA 749

$2.79 ₡1,256

-54.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 499

$3.53 ₡1,589

-75.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 F CFA 294

$1.19 ₡537

-57.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.49 F CFA 14.9K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-64.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 F CFA 868

$1.57 ₡708

-5.73%

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

$31.7K F CFA 18.6M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

45.49%

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

$28.9K F CFA 16.9M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-16.46%

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

$105 F CFA 61.5K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

12.54%

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

$34.41 F CFA 20.1K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-1.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.15 F CFA 26.4K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-12.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.73 F CFA 25.6K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-38.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$759 F CFA 444.1K

$490 ₡220.7K

55.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,319 F CFA 1.4M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-80.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

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)

$528 F CFA 309.1K

$786 ₡354.3K

-32.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 F CFA 100.1K

$780 ₡351.6K

-78.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 F CFA 507.3K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-77.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 F CFA 250.8K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-69.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 F CFA 601.9K

$876 ₡395.0K

17.40%

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 Bissau: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bissau

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Bissau

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Bissau

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bissau

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Bissau

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Bissau

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Bissau

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $528 in Bissau and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Bissau vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $350 per month, with Bissau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇼 Bissau

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

21:23 9:23 PM

6 h behind Bissau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

395,954 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 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 XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bissau Nosara 7,630 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bissau
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

Bissau vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bissau and Nosara differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($837 vs $1,837 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Bissau, 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: $528 in Bissau versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $759 in Bissau versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $837 in Bissau versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bissau 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, Bissau 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 Bissau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.