Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Centurion: $1,377 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Centurion
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Centurion Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Centurion

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,377

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,377 in Centurion versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Centurion $1,377
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,224 in Centurion versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Centurion $2,224
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,071 in Centurion versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Centurion $3,071
Nosara $3,818

Living in Centurion costs roughly 25% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Centurion 2% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.13 R 365

$12.35 ₡5,539

79.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.73 R 671

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-33.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 95.0

$7.52 ₡3,373

-23.40%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R 42.33

$4.41 ₡1,978

-41.72%

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

$0.94 R 15.52

$1.74 ₡780

-45.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.35

$1.31 ₡587

-33.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 R 34.57

$3.28 ₡1,471

-35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 40.42

$4.47 ₡2,004

-45.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.27

$1.56 ₡701

-21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 R 20.11

$3.02 ₡1,355

-59.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.83

$2.51 ₡1,125

-13.55%

Eggs

$3.07 R 50.6

$3.57 ₡1,603

-14.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 R 161

$7.43 ₡3,333

31.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$10.52 ₡4,717

-34.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 R 120

$13.97 ₡6,265

-47.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.92

$2.35 ₡1,052

-22.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.64

$1.61 ₡720

11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.88

$4.80 ₡2,152

-55.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.20

$1.61 ₡724

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.98

$3.80 ₡1,703

-60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.44

$3.69 ₡1,657

-49.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.24

$1.13 ₡507

19.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 R 23.99

$2.66 ₡1,191

-45.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 R 62.1

$5.18 ₡2,321

-27.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 R 97.1

$19.88 ₡8,916

-70.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.20

$2.90 ₡1,300

-45.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R 33.27

$3.63 ₡1,626

-44.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 R 40.75

$1.12 ₡504

120.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 R 1,613

$72.6 ₡32.6K

34.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R 20.14

$2.14 ₡958

-42.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 R 20.20

$1.57 ₡703

-21.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.89 R 146

$8.52 ₡3,823

4.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.75

$1.52 ₡682

-1.32%

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

$35.9K R 591.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

66.19%

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

$32.1K R 528.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-7.03%

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

$137 R 2,260

$96.3 ₡43.2K

42.50%

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

$30.65 R 505

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-14.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.07 R 660

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-25.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.79 R 721

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-38.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.73 R 177

$7.89 ₡3,539

35.99%

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

$314 R 5,174

$494 ₡221.6K

-36.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,299 R 70.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-63.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 R 965

$53.9 ₡24.2K

8.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 R 721

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 R 1,925

$77.9 ₡34.9K

49.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 R 1,699

$79.6 ₡35.7K

29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 R 5,689

$788 ₡353.4K

-56.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 R 6,115

$794 ₡356.2K

-53.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 R 9,479

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-85.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 R 14.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-36.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$518 R 8,536

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-92.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 R 10.1K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-50.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,342 R 38.6K

$864 ₡387.3K

171.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

8.62

21.81%

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

Last update for Centurion: 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

Centurion

$371 27%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 114% $423

Eating Out

Centurion

$248 18%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 14.5% $36

Groceries & Markets

Centurion

$225 16.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 56.6% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Centurion

$208 15.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 10.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Centurion

$145 10.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.2% $25

Getting Around

Centurion

$115 8.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 24.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Centurion

$65 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 33.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Centurion and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 171% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Centurion vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $352 per month, with Centurion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Centurion

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

15:00 3:00 PM

8 h behind Centurion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

236,580

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 17, 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 17, 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

Centurion Nosara 12,870 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Centurion
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

Centurion vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Centurion wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Centurion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 171% higher in Centurion, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $345 in Centurion versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Centurion runs roughly 35% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $314 in Centurion versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,377 in Centurion versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Centurion but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Centurion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Centurion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,377 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Centurion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Centurion 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 Centurion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.