Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chingola and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $435 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities 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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Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$435

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $435 in Chingola versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Chingola $435
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $734 in Chingola versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Chingola $734
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,034 in Chingola versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Chingola $1,034
Nosara $3,712

Living in Chingola costs roughly 76% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chingola is 68% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.93 ZMW 296

$12.22 ₡5,509

22.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.97 ZMW 495

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-58.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$0.53 ZMW 10.57

$1.72 ₡773

-69.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.73

$1.35 ₡608

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.59 ZMW 11.70

$3.24 ₡1,459

-81.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ZMW 24.90

$4.48 ₡2,018

-71.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ZMW 35.71

$1.57 ₡707

14.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ZMW 23.16

$3.17 ₡1,429

-63.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 ZMW 50.6

$2.42 ₡1,091

5.37%

Eggs

$1.86 ZMW 36.97

$3.57 ₡1,609

-47.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 ZMW 103

$10.42 ₡4,697

-49.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.60 ZMW 91.2

$13.66 ₡6,156

-66.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ZMW 40.59

$2.32 ₡1,044

-11.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 ZMW 39.38

$1.61 ₡728

23.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 39.91

$4.74 ₡2,138

-57.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ZMW 41.23

$1.66 ₡747

25.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 ZMW 59.7

$3.72 ₡1,679

-19.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ZMW 29.35

$3.57 ₡1,611

-58.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ZMW 17.80

$2.55 ₡1,149

-64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 ZMW 30.67

$4.95 ₡2,232

-68.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ZMW 101

$20.01 ₡9,020

-74.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ZMW 11.85

$2.79 ₡1,256

-78.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ZMW 15.69

$3.53 ₡1,589

-77.62%

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)

$0.63 ZMW 12.53

$1.55 ₡701

-59.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 ZMW 203

$8.86 ₡3,993

15.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ZMW 26.71

$1.57 ₡708

-14.01%

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)

$50.0 ZMW 992

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-46.46%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.28 ZMW 204

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-85.60%

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)

$20.68 ZMW 410

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-61.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.65 ZMW 251

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-77.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.5 ZMW 1,001

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-36.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ZMW 1,488

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-4.83%

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)

$15.3K ZMW 302.9K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

1171.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$110 ZMW 2,180

$876 ₡395.0K

-87.45%

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 Chingola: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chingola

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Chingola

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Chingola

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chingola

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Chingola

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Chingola

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Chingola

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 697% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Chingola vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $350 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chingola

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:23 5:23 AM

21:23 9:23 PM

8 h behind Chingola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,073

4,912

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.24 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 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 ZMW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chingola Nosara 12,780 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Chingola
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

Chingola vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 322% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 697% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $435 in Chingola versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chingola but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chingola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chingola is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chingola 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 Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 322% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.