Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chinhoyi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Chinhoyi: $644 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Chinhoyi
Learn more

Chinhoyi Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Chinhoyi

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$644

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $644 in Chinhoyi versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Chinhoyi $644
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,019 in Chinhoyi versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Chinhoyi $1,019
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,394 in Chinhoyi versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Chinhoyi $1,394
Nosara $3,818

Living in Chinhoyi costs roughly 65% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chinhoyi is 52% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

$12.35 ₡5,539

-83.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.45 ZWL 1,209

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-25.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ZWL 122

$7.52 ₡3,373

-38.96%

Cappuccino

$1.02 ZWL 27.19

$4.41 ₡1,978

-76.87%

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

$0.34 ZWL 9.06

$1.74 ₡780

-80.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ZWL 6.33

$1.31 ₡587

-81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ZWL 26.94

$3.28 ₡1,471

-69.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

$4.47 ₡2,004

-54.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ZWL 39.53

$1.56 ₡701

-4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ZWL 23.27

$3.02 ₡1,355

-71.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ZWL 45.10

$2.51 ₡1,125

-32.67%

Eggs

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

$3.57 ₡1,603

-46.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.42 ZWL 304

$7.43 ₡3,333

53.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ZWL 80.7

$10.52 ₡4,717

-71.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.96 ZWL 106

$13.97 ₡6,265

-71.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 ZWL 27.29

$2.35 ₡1,052

-56.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ZWL 27.37

$1.61 ₡720

-36.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ZWL 26.04

$4.80 ₡2,152

-79.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 ZWL 27.00

$1.61 ₡724

-37.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ZWL 26.99

$3.80 ₡1,703

-73.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ZWL 26.23

$3.69 ₡1,657

-73.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ZWL 13.78

$1.13 ₡507

-53.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ZWL 20.28

$2.66 ₡1,191

-71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ZWL 51.9

$5.18 ₡2,321

-62.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.12 ZWL 189

$19.88 ₡8,916

-64.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ZWL 12.69

$2.90 ₡1,300

-83.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 ZWL 26.01

$3.63 ₡1,626

-73.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ZWL 26.92

$1.12 ₡504

-9.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 ZWL 812

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-57.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 ZWL 107

$2.14 ₡958

87.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

$1.57 ₡703

30.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 ZWL 132

$8.52 ₡3,823

-41.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ZWL 37.37

$1.52 ₡682

-7.89%

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

$21.9K ZWL 582.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

1.36%

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

$28.0K ZWL 744.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.94%

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

$40.49 ZWL 1,078

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-57.95%

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

$20.12 ZWL 535

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-43.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 ZWL 1,832

$53.6 ₡24.0K

28.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 ZWL 268

$7.89 ₡3,539

27.76%

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

$439 ZWL 11.7K

$494 ₡221.6K

-11.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,600 ZWL 228.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-27.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.99 ZWL 612

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-57.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.86 ZWL 555

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-62.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.30 ZWL 1,019

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-50.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.05 ZWL 1,092

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-48.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ZWL 4,835

$794 ₡356.2K

-77.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ZWL 7,881

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-79.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$199 ZWL 5,291

$864 ₡387.3K

-76.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

8.62

58.82%

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

Last update for Chinhoyi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chinhoyi

$182 28.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 337% $613

Groceries & Markets

Chinhoyi

$154 24%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 128% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chinhoyi

$129 20.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 43.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chinhoyi

$55 8.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 117% $65

Eating Out

Chinhoyi

$54 8.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 293% $158

Getting Around

Chinhoyi

$49 7.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 78.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chinhoyi

$20 * 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 333% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 334% 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: $45.00 in Chinhoyi vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $352 per month, with Chinhoyi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Chinhoyi

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

8 h behind Chinhoyi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,794

4,912

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chinhoyi Nosara 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chinhoyi
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

Chinhoyi vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chinhoyi and Nosara differ by about 186% in total monthly costs ($644 vs $1,839 including rent). Chinhoyi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 334% 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Chinhoyi – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $644 per month in Chinhoyi versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $644 in Chinhoyi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chinhoyi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chinhoyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chinhoyi 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 Chinhoyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.