Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloemfontein and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bloemfontein: $1,069 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Bloemfontein
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Bloemfontein Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Bloemfontein

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,069

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,069 per month in Bloemfontein vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Bloemfontein $1,069
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,687 per month in Bloemfontein vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Bloemfontein $1,687
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,305 per month in Bloemfontein vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Bloemfontein $2,305
Nosara $3,818

Bloemfontein is about 42% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bloemfontein sits 21% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.91 R 196

$12.35 ₡5,539

-3.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.16 R 678

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-32.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 R 122

$7.52 ₡3,373

-1.46%

Cappuccino

$2.08 R 34.20

$4.41 ₡1,978

-52.83%

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

$1.40 R 23.11

$1.74 ₡780

-19.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 R 17.93

$1.31 ₡587

-16.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 R 41.78

$3.28 ₡1,471

-22.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R 45.06

$4.47 ₡2,004

-38.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R 17.27

$1.56 ₡701

-32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.59

$3.02 ₡1,355

-64.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 R 35.12

$2.51 ₡1,125

-15.14%

Eggs

$2.16 R 35.63

$3.57 ₡1,603

-39.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 R 124

$7.43 ₡3,333

1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 83.5

$10.52 ₡4,717

-51.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.91 R 130

$13.97 ₡6,265

-43.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 31.11

$2.35 ₡1,052

-19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.84

$1.61 ₡720

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.45

$4.80 ₡2,152

-62.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

$1.61 ₡724

-3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.39

$3.80 ₡1,703

-57.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.51

$3.69 ₡1,657

-49.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 R 18.45

$1.13 ₡507

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.91

$2.66 ₡1,191

-63.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 R 41.89

$5.18 ₡2,321

-50.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.91 R 80.9

$19.88 ₡8,916

-75.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.81

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.90

$3.63 ₡1,626

-61.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.35

$1.12 ₡504

-16.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.1 R 1,253

$72.6 ₡32.6K

4.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R 17.56

$2.14 ₡958

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 R 23.12

$1.52 ₡682

-7.89%

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

$36.4K R 599.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

68.52%

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

$28.5K R 469.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-17.38%

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

$77.8 R 1,281

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-19.23%

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

$32.29 R 532

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-10.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.69 R 522

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-40.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 R 533

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-54.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 R 77.8

$7.89 ₡3,539

-40.18%

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

$200 R 3,296

$494 ₡221.6K

-59.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 R 1,003

$53.9 ₡24.2K

12.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.06 R 709

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-22.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 R 2,220

$77.9 ₡34.9K

72.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 R 1,826

$79.6 ₡35.7K

39.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 R 5,139

$788 ₡353.4K

-60.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 R 4,717

$794 ₡356.2K

-63.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 R 8,459

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-86.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 R 8,954

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-61.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$487 R 8,031

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-92.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$620 R 10.2K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-49.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,287 R 21.2K

$864 ₡387.3K

49.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.13

8.62

40.72%

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

Last update for Bloemfontein: 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

Bloemfontein

$286 26.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 177% $508

Groceries & Markets

Bloemfontein

$190 17.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 85.4% $162

Eating Out

Bloemfontein

$171 16%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 24.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Bloemfontein

$157 14.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 23.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bloemfontein

$142 13.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 31% $44

Getting Around

Bloemfontein

$81 * 7.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 7.7% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Bloemfontein

$42 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 109% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $312 in Bloemfontein versus $788 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 49% higher in Bloemfontein, 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 $41.00 in Bloemfontein versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $352 – making Bloemfontein the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Bloemfontein

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

01:40 1:40 AM

8 h behind Bloemfontein

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

370,000 Capital

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

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Highest

Between locations

Bloemfontein Nosara 12,660 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Bloemfontein
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

Bloemfontein vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 72% more than Bloemfontein, 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 $1,603 per month in Bloemfontein and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloemfontein, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 85% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bloemfontein and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bloemfontein, where all-in costs run around $1,069, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Bloemfontein it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bloemfontein costs $1,069 versus $1,839 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 Bloemfontein. 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.