Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dodoma and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Dodoma: $439 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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Dodoma

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$439

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $439 per month in Dodoma vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Dodoma $439
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $625 per month in Dodoma vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Dodoma $625
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $811 per month in Dodoma vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Dodoma $811
Nosara $3,712

Dodoma is about 76% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Dodoma sits 67% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.64 TZS 6,925

$12.22 ₡5,509

-78.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.09 TZS 50.1K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-68.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 TZS 19.4K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-1.99%

Cappuccino

$1.84 TZS 4,828

$4.31 ₡1,941

-57.31%

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

$0.31 TZS 806

$1.72 ₡773

-81.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 TZS 2,253

$1.35 ₡608

-36.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 TZS 2,138

$3.24 ₡1,459

-75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 TZS 8,389

$4.48 ₡2,018

-28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 TZS 2,337

$1.57 ₡707

-43.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 TZS 2,250

$3.17 ₡1,429

-72.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,665

$2.42 ₡1,091

-57.85%

Eggs

$2.27 TZS 5,959

$3.57 ₡1,609

-36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.84 TZS 15.3K

$7.43 ₡3,349

-21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 TZS 17.5K

$10.42 ₡4,697

-35.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.69 TZS 9,679

$13.66 ₡6,156

-72.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 TZS 6,500

$2.32 ₡1,044

6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 TZS 2,280

$1.61 ₡728

-45.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,047

$4.74 ₡2,138

-83.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 TZS 3,928

$1.66 ₡747

-9.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 TZS 2,759

$3.72 ₡1,679

-71.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TZS 4,394

$3.57 ₡1,611

-53.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 TZS 1,204

$1.10 ₡497

-58.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,028

$2.55 ₡1,149

-84.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 TZS 4,058

$4.95 ₡2,232

-68.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.89 TZS 10.2K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-80.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 TZS 2,289

$2.79 ₡1,256

-68.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 TZS 3,173

$3.53 ₡1,589

-65.72%

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)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 TZS 3,659

$1.57 ₡708

-11.46%

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)

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$18.80 TZS 49.3K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-46.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.16 TZS 50.3K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-62.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 TZS 149.2K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-20.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.72 TZS 20.2K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-78.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.75 TZS 9,834

$7.84 ₡3,535

-52.17%

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)

$7.61 TZS 20.0K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-85.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.5 TZS 253.3K

$780 ₡351.6K

-87.62%

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)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

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 Dodoma: 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

Dodoma

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Dodoma

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Dodoma

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dodoma

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Dodoma

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Dodoma

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Dodoma

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Dodoma versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $350 – making Dodoma the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dodoma

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

01:30 1:30 AM

9 h behind Dodoma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

765,179 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,624 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD). 1 EUR = 2,943 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 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 TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dodoma Nosara 13,560 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Dodoma
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

Dodoma vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 319% more than Dodoma, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $658 per month in Dodoma and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $439 in Dodoma and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 319%.

Groceries cost about 136% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dodoma, where all-in costs run around $439, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Dodoma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dodoma costs $439 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Dodoma. 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.