Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Grahamstown: $1,121 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Grahamstown
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Grahamstown Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Grahamstown

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,121

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Grahamstown versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Grahamstown $1,121
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,757 in Grahamstown versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Grahamstown $1,757
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,392 in Grahamstown versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Grahamstown $2,392
Nosara $3,818

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 39% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grahamstown is 17% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 R 179

$12.35 ₡5,539

-12.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.03 R 692

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-31.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 R 99.9

$7.52 ₡3,373

-19.41%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 35.03

$4.41 ₡1,978

-51.70%

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

$1.04 R 17.21

$1.74 ₡780

-40.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R 11.94

$1.31 ₡587

-45.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 R 45.45

$3.28 ₡1,471

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 R 50.6

$4.47 ₡2,004

-31.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.45

$1.56 ₡701

-28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.57

$3.02 ₡1,355

-66.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.86

$2.51 ₡1,125

-42.23%

Eggs

$2.82 R 46.40

$3.57 ₡1,603

-21.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 R 145

$7.43 ₡3,333

18.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 R 86.5

$10.52 ₡4,717

-50.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.51 R 140

$13.97 ₡6,265

-39.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 36.07

$2.35 ₡1,052

-6.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.17

$1.61 ₡720

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.91

$4.80 ₡2,152

-64.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.34

$1.61 ₡724

6.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.50

$3.80 ₡1,703

-56.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.55

$3.69 ₡1,657

-62.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.36

$1.13 ₡507

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 R 16.73

$2.66 ₡1,191

-61.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 R 52.7

$5.18 ₡2,321

-38.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.68 R 77.1

$19.88 ₡8,916

-76.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R 20.02

$2.90 ₡1,300

-57.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 R 29.34

$3.63 ₡1,626

-50.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 R 25.32

$1.12 ₡504

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 R 10.13

$2.14 ₡958

-71.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 R 7.72

$1.57 ₡703

-70.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.17 R 135

$8.52 ₡3,823

-4.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 R 23.07

$1.52 ₡682

-7.89%

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

$35.0K R 576.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

61.82%

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

$32.8K R 540.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-5.04%

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

$120 R 1,983

$96.3 ₡43.2K

25.00%

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

$34.81 R 574

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-3.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.20 R 728

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-17.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.55 R 520

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-55.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.55 R 174

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-69.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 R 175

$7.89 ₡3,539

34.35%

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

$175 R 2,891

$494 ₡221.6K

-64.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,834 R 79.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-59.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 R 1,178

$53.9 ₡24.2K

32.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.90 R 608

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-33.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,803

$77.9 ₡34.9K

40.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 R 1,553

$79.6 ₡35.7K

18.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 R 6,497

$788 ₡353.4K

-49.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,038

$794 ₡356.2K

-53.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 R 12.0K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 R 11.9K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-49.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$874 R 14.4K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-87.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$646 R 10.6K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-47.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,164 R 19.2K

$864 ₡387.3K

34.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

8.62

38.52%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: 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

Grahamstown

$366 32.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 117% $428

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grahamstown

$199 17.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 6.8% $14

Groceries & Markets

Grahamstown

$196 17.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 80% $157

Eating Out

Grahamstown

$158 14.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 34.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Grahamstown

$140 12.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 14.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Grahamstown

$53 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 65.6% $35

Getting Around

Grahamstown

$9.1 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 856% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Grahamstown and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Grahamstown vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $352 per month, with Grahamstown cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Grahamstown

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:50 9:50 AM

01:50 1:50 AM

8 h behind Grahamstown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,264

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Grahamstown Nosara 12,670 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Grahamstown
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

Grahamstown vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Grahamstown, 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: $394 in Grahamstown versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,121 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,121 in Grahamstown versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,121 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.