Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calabar and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Calabar: $821 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Calabar

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$821

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $821 per month in Calabar vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

Calabar $821
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $1,130 per month in Calabar vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

Calabar $1,130
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $1,440 per month in Calabar vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

Calabar $1,440
Nosara $3,820

Calabar is about 56% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Calabar sits 40% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 ₦1,531

$12.36 ₡5,575

-90.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,557

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,986

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

$0.35 ₦475

$1.72 ₡776

-79.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₦255

$1.34 ₡603

-85.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ₦1,160

$3.34 ₡1,505

-73.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₦1,637

$4.54 ₡2,048

-73.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₦1,831

$3.16 ₡1,426

-56.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₦1,959

$2.39 ₡1,080

-38.91%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,217

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,655

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,302

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,031

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,169

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,765

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,640

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₦577

$2.63 ₡1,188

-83.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,267

Wine (Bottle)

$4.51 ₦6,047

$19.71 ₡8,893

-77.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₦1,480

$2.91 ₡1,314

-62.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₦2,020

$3.54 ₡1,597

-57.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡969

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,958

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,404

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

$496 ₡224.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 ₦1.5M

$817 ₡368.9K

39.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ₦1.0M

$806 ₡363.6K

-5.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 ₦2.5M

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-53.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 ₦1.8M

$1,429 ₡644.9K

-7.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

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 Calabar: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calabar

–

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Groceries & Markets

Calabar

–

Nosara

$351 19%

Eating Out

Calabar

–

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calabar

–

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Calabar

–

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Getting Around

Calabar

–

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Calabar

–

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,138 in Calabar versus $817 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Calabar

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

05:52 5:52 AM

7 h behind Calabar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

371,022

4,912

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calabar Nosara 10,350 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Calabar
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

Calabar vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $821 in Calabar, $1,846 in Nosara – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,232 per month in Calabar and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,138 in Calabar.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $821 in Calabar and $1,846 in Nosara. That’s a gap of about 125%.

Groceries cost about 732% 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 $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Calabar, where all-in costs run around $821, than in Nosara at $1,846. In Calabar 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 $821 in Calabar to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.