Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Butare: $368 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Butare
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Butare Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Butare

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$368

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $368 in Butare versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Butare $368
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $581 in Butare versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Butare $581
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $795 in Butare versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Butare $795
Nosara $3,712

Living in Butare costs roughly 80% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Butare is 73% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 RWF 4,020

$12.22 ₡5,509

-77.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.92 RWF 45.5K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-48.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 RWF 9,779

$7.54 ₡3,399

-11.80%

Cappuccino

$2.45 RWF 3,594

$4.31 ₡1,941

-43.16%

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

$0.76 RWF 1,112

$1.72 ₡773

-55.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 RWF 850

$1.35 ₡608

-57.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 RWF 1,532

$3.24 ₡1,459

-67.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 RWF 3,505

$4.48 ₡2,018

-46.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.33 RWF 485

$1.57 ₡707

-78.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 RWF 1,208

$3.17 ₡1,429

-74.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 RWF 1,357

$2.42 ₡1,091

-61.98%

Eggs

$1.66 RWF 2,438

$3.57 ₡1,609

-53.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.65 RWF 2,420

$7.43 ₡3,349

-77.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.35 RWF 3,455

$10.42 ₡4,697

-77.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.01 RWF 4,421

$13.66 ₡6,156

-77.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 RWF 3,059

$2.32 ₡1,044

-10.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 RWF 1,196

$1.61 ₡728

-49.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 RWF 1,726

$4.74 ₡2,138

-75.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 RWF 1,155

$1.66 ₡747

-52.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 RWF 630

$3.72 ₡1,679

-88.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.26 RWF 378

$3.57 ₡1,611

-92.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.12 RWF 179

$1.10 ₡497

-89.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RWF 1,201

$2.55 ₡1,149

-67.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 RWF 2,923

$4.95 ₡2,232

-59.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 RWF 15.0K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RWF 1,515

$2.79 ₡1,256

-63.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RWF 2,314

$3.53 ₡1,589

-55.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 RWF 3,958

$2.24 ₡1,011

20.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 RWF 2,936

$1.55 ₡701

29.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 RWF 4,911

$8.86 ₡3,993

-62.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RWF 2,663

$1.57 ₡708

15.29%

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

$26.6K RWF 39.0M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

21.79%

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

$29.2K RWF 43.0M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-15.55%

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

$82.4 RWF 121.1K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-11.82%

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

$7.20 RWF 10.6K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-79.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.81 RWF 30.6K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-59.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 RWF 5,036

$7.84 ₡3,535

-56.25%

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

$113 RWF 166.0K

$490 ₡220.7K

-76.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,518 RWF 14.0M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-19.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.04 RWF 25.1K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-68.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.65 RWF 23.0K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-71.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.66 RWF 33.3K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-71.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.40 RWF 50.6K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-56.38%

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 %)

16.2

8.62

87.94%

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

Last update for Butare: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Butare

$112 30.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 211% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butare

$110 29.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 63.1% $70

Eating Out

Butare

$86 23.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 142% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Butare

$40 10.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 198% $80

Getting Around

Butare

$13 * 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 585% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Butare

$6.9 * 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1171% $80

Accommodation & Living

Butare

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $31.00 in Butare vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $112 vs $350 per month, with Butare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Butare

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

23:10 11:10 PM

8 h behind Butare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,823

4,912

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.07 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc (Fr)

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,470 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,649 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.07 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 RWF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Butare Nosara 12,840 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Butare
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

Butare vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 400% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $552 in Butare 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 211% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $368 per month in Butare versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 400% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $368 in Butare versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butare delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $368 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butare hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Butare 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 Butare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 400% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.