Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kabwe and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabwe: $573 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Kabwe
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Kabwe Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Kabwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$573

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $573 per month in Kabwe vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kabwe $573
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $907 per month in Kabwe vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kabwe $907
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,242 per month in Kabwe vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kabwe $1,242
Nosara $3,818

Kabwe is about 69% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kabwe sits 58% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.47 ZMW 109

$12.35 ₡5,539

-55.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.30 ZMW 603

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-50.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 ZMW 101

$7.52 ₡3,373

-32.71%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ZMW 57.2

$4.41 ₡1,978

-34.69%

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

$0.73 ZMW 14.60

$1.74 ₡780

-58.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 9.03

$1.31 ₡587

-65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 ZMW 25.49

$3.28 ₡1,471

-60.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ZMW 46.03

$4.47 ₡2,004

-48.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ZMW 33.24

$1.56 ₡701

7.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ZMW 24.42

$3.02 ₡1,355

-59.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ZMW 40.41

$2.51 ₡1,125

-19.12%

Eggs

$1.17 ZMW 23.21

$3.57 ₡1,603

-67.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ZMW 205

$7.43 ₡3,333

38.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 ZMW 126

$10.52 ₡4,717

-39.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.46 ZMW 128

$13.97 ₡6,265

-53.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 ZMW 68.1

$2.35 ₡1,052

45.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ZMW 20.66

$1.61 ₡720

-35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 ZMW 72.2

$4.80 ₡2,152

-24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ZMW 30.18

$1.61 ₡724

-5.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 ZMW 49.92

$3.80 ₡1,703

-33.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 ZMW 35.43

$3.69 ₡1,657

-51.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 22.95

$1.13 ₡507

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ZMW 15.09

$2.66 ₡1,191

-71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ZMW 60.3

$5.18 ₡2,321

-41.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 ZMW 199

$19.88 ₡8,916

-49.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ZMW 29.47

$2.90 ₡1,300

-48.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ZMW 47.02

$3.63 ₡1,626

-34.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 ZMW 51.5

$2.14 ₡958

21.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ZMW 30.53

$1.57 ₡703

-1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ZMW 97.3

$8.52 ₡3,823

-42.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ZMW 26.81

$1.52 ₡682

-11.18%

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

$7,588 ZMW 150.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-64.88%

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

$27.1K ZMW 539.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-21.44%

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

$79.2 ZMW 1,576

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-17.71%

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

$10.24 ZMW 204

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-71.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 ZMW 1,115

$53.6 ₡24.0K

4.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 ZMW 117

$7.89 ₡3,539

-25.73%

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

$137 ZMW 2,719

$494 ₡221.6K

-72.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ZMW 335.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

42.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.99 ZMW 457

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-57.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.34 ZMW 305

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-72.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.92 ZMW 893

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-42.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ZMW 1,437

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

236.43%

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

Last update for Kabwe: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kabwe

$226 39.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 55.7% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kabwe

$146 25.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 27.7% $40

Eating Out

Kabwe

$109 19.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 93.9% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Kabwe

$70 12.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 71.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Kabwe

$12 * 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 645% $76

Getting Around

Kabwe

$10 * 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 748% $77

Accommodation & Living

Kabwe

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Kabwe versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $352 – making Kabwe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kabwe

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

10:01 10:01 AM

8 h behind Kabwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,517

4,912

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 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 ZMW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kabwe Nosara 12,860 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Kabwe
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

Kabwe vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 221% more than Kabwe, 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 $859 per month in Kabwe and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Kabwe and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% 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 Kabwe, where all-in costs run around $573, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kabwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kabwe costs $573 versus $1,839 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 Kabwe. 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.