Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Douala and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Douala: $1,329 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Douala
Learn more

Douala Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Douala

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$1,329

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,329 per month in Douala vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Douala $1,329
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,133 per month in Douala vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Douala $2,133
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Douala vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Douala $2,937
Nosara $3,712

Douala is about 28% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Douala sits 1% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 FCFA 2,579

$12.22 ₡5,509

-63.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 FCFA 70.8K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

101.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.92 FCFA 4,052

$7.54 ₡3,399

-8.22%

Cappuccino

$2.10 FCFA 1,228

$4.31 ₡1,941

-51.28%

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

$1.60 FCFA 937

$1.72 ₡773

-6.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 FCFA 458

$1.35 ₡608

-42.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 FCFA 710

$3.24 ₡1,459

-62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 FCFA 1,469

$4.48 ₡2,018

-43.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.76 FCFA 1,618

$1.57 ₡707

75.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 FCFA 258

$3.17 ₡1,429

-86.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 FCFA 1,330

$2.42 ₡1,091

-6.20%

Eggs

$1.93 FCFA 1,128

$3.57 ₡1,609

-45.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.83 FCFA 12.8K

$7.43 ₡3,349

193.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 FCFA 4,629

$10.42 ₡4,697

-24.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 FCFA 3,643

$13.66 ₡6,156

-54.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 FCFA 2,798

$2.32 ₡1,044

106.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 FCFA 1,233

$1.61 ₡728

31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 FCFA 1,210

$4.74 ₡2,138

-56.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 FCFA 804

$1.66 ₡747

-17.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 FCFA 1,950

$3.72 ₡1,679

-10.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 FCFA 1,280

$3.57 ₡1,611

-38.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 FCFA 441

$1.10 ₡497

-31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 FCFA 391

$2.55 ₡1,149

-73.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 FCFA 1,526

$4.95 ₡2,232

-47.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.77 FCFA 5,133

$20.01 ₡9,020

-56.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 FCFA 858

$2.79 ₡1,256

-47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 FCFA 1,058

$3.53 ₡1,589

-48.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 FCFA 358

$1.19 ₡537

-48.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.37 FCFA 10.2K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-75.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 FCFA 340

$2.24 ₡1,011

-74.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 FCFA 497

$1.55 ₡701

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 FCFA 4,763

$8.86 ₡3,993

-8.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 FCFA 862

$1.57 ₡708

-6.37%

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

$30.5K FCFA 17.8M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

39.91%

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

$15.2K FCFA 8.9M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-56.11%

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

$163 FCFA 95.1K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

73.92%

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

$25.53 FCFA 14.9K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-27.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$175 FCFA 102.6K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

240.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.22 FCFA 24.1K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-42.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.38 FCFA 4,904

$7.84 ₡3,535

6.89%

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

$507 FCFA 296.9K

$490 ₡220.7K

3.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,426 FCFA 2.0M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-71.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 FCFA 46.0K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

46.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 FCFA 38.5K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

18.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 FCFA 80.6K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

73.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 FCFA 86.4K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

87.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 FCFA 323.5K

$786 ₡354.3K

-29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 FCFA 186.1K

$780 ₡351.6K

-59.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 FCFA 787.5K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-65.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 FCFA 320.8K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-61.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 FCFA 1.2M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-71.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 FCFA 568.1K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-19.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$225 FCFA 131.5K

$876 ₡395.0K

-74.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.04

8.62

120.88%

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

Last update for Douala: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Douala

$363 27.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 50.5% $183

Accommodation & Living

Douala

$318 23.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 145% $462

Groceries & Markets

Douala

$278 20.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 25.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Douala

$193 14.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 37.8% $73

Eating Out

Douala

$102 7.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 106% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Douala

$58 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 50.2% $29

Getting Around

Douala

$25 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 252% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Douala versus $786 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 290% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Douala versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Douala vs $350 in Nosara – so Douala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Douala

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

00:17 12:17 AM

7 h behind Douala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 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 XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Douala Nosara 10,510 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Douala
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

Douala vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,993 per month in Douala and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Douala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Douala and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Douala, where all-in costs run around $1,329, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Douala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Douala – 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 Douala. 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.