Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kafue and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kafue: $591 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Kafue
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Kafue Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Kafue

🇿🇲 Zambia

$591

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $591 per month in Kafue vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kafue $591
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $939 per month in Kafue vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kafue $939
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,288 per month in Kafue vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kafue $1,288
Nosara $3,818

Kafue is about 68% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kafue sits 56% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 ZMW 112

$12.35 ₡5,539

-54.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.47 ZMW 606

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-50.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ZMW 103

$7.52 ₡3,373

-30.85%

Cappuccino

$2.87 ZMW 57.0

$4.41 ₡1,978

-34.92%

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

$0.78 ZMW 15.44

$1.74 ₡780

-55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ZMW 10.01

$1.31 ₡587

-61.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ZMW 24.59

$3.28 ₡1,471

-62.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ZMW 44.46

$4.47 ₡2,004

-49.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ZMW 35.17

$1.56 ₡701

13.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ZMW 24.63

$3.02 ₡1,355

-58.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ZMW 42.77

$2.51 ₡1,125

-14.34%

Eggs

$1.89 ZMW 37.65

$3.57 ₡1,603

-47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.26 ZMW 204

$7.43 ₡3,333

38.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ZMW 128

$10.52 ₡4,717

-38.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 ZMW 131

$13.97 ₡6,265

-52.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ZMW 65.9

$2.35 ₡1,052

40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.76

$1.61 ₡720

52.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 ZMW 72.1

$4.80 ₡2,152

-24.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ZMW 30.01

$1.61 ₡724

-6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 ZMW 53.0

$3.80 ₡1,703

-29.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ZMW 37.51

$3.69 ₡1,657

-48.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ZMW 23.28

$1.13 ₡507

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ZMW 15.55

$2.66 ₡1,191

-70.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ZMW 59.4

$5.18 ₡2,321

-42.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 ZMW 203

$19.88 ₡8,916

-48.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 ZMW 29.23

$2.90 ₡1,300

-49.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ZMW 47.35

$3.63 ₡1,626

-34.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 ZMW 49.32

$2.14 ₡958

15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ZMW 31.06

$1.57 ₡703

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ZMW 98.3

$8.52 ₡3,823

-42.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ZMW 29.93

$1.52 ₡682

-0.66%

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

$7,751 ZMW 154.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-64.13%

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

$27.5K ZMW 546.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.47%

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

$79.7 ZMW 1,586

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-17.21%

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

$10.66 ZMW 212

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-70.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 ZMW 1,100

$53.6 ₡24.0K

3.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 ZMW 124

$7.89 ₡3,539

-21.04%

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

$140 ZMW 2,777

$494 ₡221.6K

-71.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 328.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

39.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.38 ZMW 465

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-56.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 ZMW 308

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-72.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.03 ZMW 915

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-40.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 ZMW 1,445

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-8.72%

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 Kafue: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kafue

$241 40.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 46.4% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kafue

$146 24.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 27.5% $40

Eating Out

Kafue

$111 18.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 91.4% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Kafue

$71 12%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 69.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Kafue

$12 * 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 601% $75

Getting Around

Kafue

$10 * 1.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 747% $77

Accommodation & Living

Kafue

- * 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 Kafue versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $352 – making Kafue the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kafue

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

10:04 10:04 AM

8 h behind Kafue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,174

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

Kafue Nosara 12,840 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Kafue
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

Kafue vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $591 in Kafue, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 211% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $886 per month in Kafue and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $591 in Kafue and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 211%.

Kindergarten costs $140 per month in Kafue and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kafue, where all-in costs run around $591, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kafue it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $591 in Kafue to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kafue. 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.