Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Coast and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Coast: $1,261 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Cape Coast
Learn more

Cape Coast Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Coast

🇬🇭 Ghana

$1,261

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Cape Coast vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Cape Coast $1,261
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,989 per month in Cape Coast vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Cape Coast $1,989
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,716 per month in Cape Coast vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Cape Coast $2,716
Nosara $3,818

Cape Coast is about 31% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cape Coast sits 7% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.15 GHS 94.6

$12.35 ₡5,547

-34.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 GHS 602

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-15.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 GHS 118

$7.52 ₡3,377

35.37%

Cappuccino

$4.45 GHS 51.6

$4.41 ₡1,981

0.91%

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

$1.57 GHS 18.22

$1.74 ₡781

-9.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 GHS 5.18

$1.31 ₡588

-65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 GHS 21.34

$3.28 ₡1,473

-43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 GHS 25.49

$4.47 ₡2,007

-50.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.64 GHS 42.24

$1.56 ₡702

133.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 GHS 19.42

$3.02 ₡1,357

-44.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 GHS 35.60

$2.51 ₡1,127

22.31%

Eggs

$2.55 GHS 29.60

$3.57 ₡1,605

-28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 GHS 139

$7.43 ₡3,338

61.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.04 GHS 81.6

$10.52 ₡4,724

-33.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 GHS 113

$13.97 ₡6,274

-30.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 GHS 41.38

$2.35 ₡1,054

51.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 GHS 16.06

$1.61 ₡721

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 GHS 20.47

$4.80 ₡2,155

-63.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 GHS 42.15

$1.61 ₡725

125.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 GHS 32.14

$3.80 ₡1,706

-27.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 GHS 31.73

$3.69 ₡1,659

-25.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 GHS 8.04

$1.13 ₡507

-38.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 GHS 6.98

$2.66 ₡1,193

-77.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.50 GHS 29.06

$5.18 ₡2,324

-51.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.32 GHS 84.9

$19.88 ₡8,929

-63.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 GHS 14.82

$2.90 ₡1,302

-55.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 GHS 27.64

$3.63 ₡1,628

-34.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 GHS 20.01

$2.14 ₡959

-19.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 GHS 14.46

$1.57 ₡704

-20.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 GHS 49.42

$8.52 ₡3,828

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 GHS 14.94

$1.52 ₡683

-15.13%

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

$7,862 GHS 91.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-63.62%

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

$9,880 GHS 114.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-71.38%

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

$73.2 GHS 849

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-24.02%

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

$19.55 GHS 227

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-45.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.07 GHS 500

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-19.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 GHS 150

$7.89 ₡3,544

63.75%

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

$466 GHS 5,407

$494 ₡221.9K

-5.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K GHS 217.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

57.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.04 GHS 163

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-73.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.28 GHS 212

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-67.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.79 GHS 427

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-52.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.0 GHS 615

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-33.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 GHS 7,058

$788 ₡353.9K

-22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 GHS 6,831

$794 ₡356.7K

-25.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 GHS 14.3K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-68.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 GHS 13.0K

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-21.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.75

8.62

210.32%

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

Last update for Cape Coast: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Coast

$589 46.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 34.9% $205

Groceries & Markets

Cape Coast

$277 22%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 27.1% $75

Eating Out

Cape Coast

$171 13.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 24% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Coast

$136 10.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 36.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Coast

$55 4.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 119% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Coast

$26 * 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 238% $62

Getting Around

Cape Coast

$8 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 994% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $608 in Cape Coast 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Cape Coast versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $352 – making Cape Coast the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Cape Coast

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

05:25 5:25 AM

6 h behind Cape Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

155,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 GHS = 8.62 USD

100 GHS = 7.69 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GHS – Ghanaian Cedi Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cedi (₵)

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 11.6 GHS (100 GHS = 8.62 USD). 1 EUR = 13.01 GHS (100 GHS = 7.69 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to GHS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Coast Nosara 9,300 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Coast
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

Cape Coast vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Cape Coast 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 Cape Coast, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Cape Coast and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 46%.

Kindergarten costs $466 per month in Cape Coast and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cape Coast, where all-in costs run around $1,261, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cape Coast it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cape Coast – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Cape Coast. 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.