Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jimma and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,057 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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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Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,057

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,057 per month in Jimma vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Jimma $1,057
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,424 per month in Jimma vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Jimma $1,424
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,792 per month in Jimma vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Jimma $1,792
Nosara $3,712

Jimma is about 42% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Jimma sits 21% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 ETB 747

$12.22 ₡5,509

-61.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$1.17 ETB 188

$4.31 ₡1,941

-72.85%

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

$0.59 ETB 95.2

$1.72 ₡773

-65.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ETB 70.0

$1.35 ₡608

-67.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 ETB 452

$3.24 ₡1,459

-13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ETB 230

$4.48 ₡2,018

-68.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ETB 185

$1.57 ₡707

-26.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 ETB 58.1

$3.17 ₡1,429

-88.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ETB 180

$2.42 ₡1,091

-53.72%

Eggs

$4.02 ETB 646

$3.57 ₡1,609

12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 ETB 1,847

$10.42 ₡4,697

10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 ETB 1,835

$13.66 ₡6,156

-16.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 370

$2.32 ₡1,044

-0.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ETB 180

$1.61 ₡728

-30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ETB 555

$4.74 ₡2,138

-27.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 ETB 93.8

$1.66 ₡747

-65.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ETB 87.7

$3.72 ₡1,679

-85.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ETB 538

$3.57 ₡1,611

-6.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ETB 93.7

$2.55 ₡1,149

-77.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 ETB 1,065

$20.01 ₡9,020

-66.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ETB 187

$2.79 ₡1,256

-58.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ETB 234

$3.53 ₡1,589

-58.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ETB 35.27

$1.19 ₡537

-81.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.38 ETB 2,150

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-81.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ETB 276

$8.86 ₡3,993

-80.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 ETB 279

$1.57 ₡708

10.83%

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

$51.2K ETB 8.2M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

135.02%

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

$58.0K ETB 9.3M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

67.33%

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

$63.4 ETB 10.2K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-32.11%

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

$36.28 ETB 5,829

$35.11 ₡15.8K

3.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$313 ETB 50.3K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

508.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.06 ETB 5,474

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-52.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.7 ETB 14.9K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

66.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ETB 22.3K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

75.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ETB 18.5K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

45.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 ETB 33.4K

$786 ₡354.3K

-73.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ETB 25.7K

$780 ₡351.6K

-79.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ETB 66.7K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-89.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ETB 49.9K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-77.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,229 ETB 358.2K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-68.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 ETB 179.4K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-7.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 ETB 36.5K

$876 ₡395.0K

-74.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.41%

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

Last update for Jimma: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jimma

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Jimma

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Jimma

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jimma

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Jimma

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Jimma

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Jimma

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $208 in Jimma 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 286% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Jimma

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

02:22 2:22 AM

9 h behind Jimma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,573

4,912

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 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 ETB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jimma Nosara 13,350 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Jimma
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

Jimma vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,585 per month in Jimma 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 Jimma, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 439% less in Jimma. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jimma, where all-in costs run around $1,057, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Jimma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jimma – 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 Jimma. 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.