Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $73.2 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$73.2

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $73.2 in Busia versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Busia $73.2
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $118 in Busia versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Busia $118
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $163 in Busia versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Busia $163
Nosara $3,712

Living in Busia costs roughly 96% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busia is 95% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$0.29 UGX 1,160

$1.57 ₡707

-81.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 UGX 4,972

$3.17 ₡1,429

-61.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$1.53 UGX 6,180

$3.57 ₡1,609

-57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.78 UGX 15.3K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-72.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 UGX 9,841

$2.32 ₡1,044

4.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 UGX 3,140

$1.66 ₡747

-53.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 UGX 5,898

$3.57 ₡1,611

-59.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 961

$2.55 ₡1,149

-90.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.15 UGX 4,663

$4.95 ₡2,232

-76.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 UGX 20.3K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-74.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 UGX 3,950

$2.79 ₡1,256

-64.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 UGX 5,110

$3.53 ₡1,589

-64.31%

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)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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)

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

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)

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

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)

$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)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

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 Busia: 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

Busia

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Busia

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Busia

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busia

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Busia

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Busia

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Busia

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Good to know

🇺🇬 Busia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

04:21 4:21 AM

9 h behind Busia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,900

4,912

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,533 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.21 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 UGX in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Busia Nosara 13,250 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Busia
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

Busia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 2409% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $110 in Busia and $2,756 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 386% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $73.2 per month in Busia versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 2409% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $73.2 in Busia versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Busia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $73.2 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Busia 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 Busia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2409% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.