Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeffreys Bay and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeffreys Bay: $1,027 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Jeffreys Bay
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Jeffreys Bay Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Jeffreys Bay

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,027

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,027 in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Jeffreys Bay $1,027
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,601 in Jeffreys Bay versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Jeffreys Bay $1,601
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in Jeffreys Bay versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Jeffreys Bay $2,175
Nosara $3,818

Living in Jeffreys Bay costs roughly 44% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jeffreys Bay is 24% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 R 123

$12.35 ₡5,539

-39.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.21 R 448

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-55.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 R 95.3

$7.52 ₡3,373

-23.01%

Cappuccino

$1.76 R 28.97

$4.41 ₡1,978

-60.09%

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

$0.79 R 12.93

$1.74 ₡780

-54.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 R 11.15

$1.31 ₡587

-48.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 R 31.87

$3.28 ₡1,471

-41.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 R 31.87

$4.47 ₡2,004

-56.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.09

$1.56 ₡701

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.21

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.63

$2.51 ₡1,125

-40.64%

Eggs

$2.78 R 45.74

$3.57 ₡1,603

-22.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 R 107

$7.43 ₡3,333

-12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 R 82.9

$10.52 ₡4,717

-52.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 R 127

$13.97 ₡6,265

-44.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 R 33.05

$2.35 ₡1,052

-14.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.46

$1.61 ₡720

-8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.89

$4.80 ₡2,152

-66.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.44

$1.61 ₡724

7.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.14

$3.80 ₡1,703

-56.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.14

$3.69 ₡1,657

-66.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.32

$1.13 ₡507

8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.27

$2.66 ₡1,191

-62.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 R 54.0

$5.18 ₡2,321

-36.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.86 R 63.6

$19.88 ₡8,916

-80.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R 20.06

$2.90 ₡1,300

-57.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 R 29.65

$3.63 ₡1,626

-50.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 R 25.29

$1.12 ₡504

36.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$2.14 ₡958

-70.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 R 7.71

$1.57 ₡703

-70.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 R 142

$8.52 ₡3,823

1.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 R 22.53

$1.52 ₡682

-9.87%

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

$21.4K R 353.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-0.83%

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

$17.3K R 285.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-49.86%

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

$122 R 2,017

$96.3 ₡43.2K

27.17%

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

$34.24 R 564

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-4.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.08 R 726

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-17.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.15 R 530

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-55.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 R 97.2

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-83.10%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 R 49.07

$7.89 ₡3,539

-62.23%

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

$137 R 2,255

$494 ₡221.6K

-72.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,025 R 99.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-49.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 R 1,178

$53.9 ₡24.2K

32.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 R 630

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-31.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,856

$77.9 ₡34.9K

44.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 R 1,591

$79.6 ₡35.7K

21.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 R 6,317

$788 ₡353.4K

-51.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 R 5,520

$794 ₡356.2K

-57.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 R 12.1K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-49.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$861 R 14.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-87.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$644 R 10.6K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-47.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Jeffreys Bay: 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

Jeffreys Bay

$335 32.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 137% $459

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeffreys Bay

$201 19.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 7.5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Jeffreys Bay

$183 17.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 92.9% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Jeffreys Bay

$144 14%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 16.3% $23

Eating Out

Jeffreys Bay

$118 11.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 79.9% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Jeffreys Bay

$38 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 129% $49

Getting Around

Jeffreys Bay

$9.1 * 0.9%

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 $383 in Jeffreys Bay and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Jeffreys Bay vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $352 per month, with Jeffreys Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Jeffreys Bay

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

01:15 1:15 AM

8 h behind Jeffreys Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,107

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

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Between locations

Jeffreys Bay Nosara 12,520 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Jeffreys Bay
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

Jeffreys Bay vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeffreys Bay is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,540 in Jeffreys Bay and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $383 in Jeffreys Bay versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,027 per month in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,027 in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeffreys Bay but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Jeffreys Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jeffreys Bay 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, Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.