Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kimberley and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kimberley: $1,128 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Kimberley
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Kimberley Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kimberley

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,128

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,128 per month in Kimberley vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kimberley $1,128
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,905 per month in Kimberley vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kimberley $1,905
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,683 per month in Kimberley vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kimberley $2,683
Nosara $3,818

Kimberley is about 39% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kimberley sits 16% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 R 201

$12.35 ₡5,539

-1.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.40 R 600

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-40.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 R 97.3

$7.52 ₡3,373

-21.41%

Cappuccino

$3.02 R 49.76

$4.41 ₡1,978

-31.52%

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

$1.32 R 21.67

$1.74 ₡780

-24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.96

$1.31 ₡587

-3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 R 45.76

$3.28 ₡1,471

-15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R 45.40

$4.47 ₡2,004

-38.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 R 25.08

$1.56 ₡701

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 19.09

$3.02 ₡1,355

-61.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 R 49.58

$2.51 ₡1,125

19.92%

Eggs

$2.88 R 47.44

$3.57 ₡1,603

-19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.60 R 109

$7.43 ₡3,333

-11.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 R 96.2

$10.52 ₡4,717

-44.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.62 R 142

$13.97 ₡6,265

-38.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 R 36.86

$2.35 ₡1,052

-4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 R 40.59

$1.61 ₡720

52.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.02

$4.80 ₡2,152

-63.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 R 54.9

$1.61 ₡724

106.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.20

$3.80 ₡1,703

-61.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.42

$3.69 ₡1,657

-61.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 R 22.03

$1.13 ₡507

18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 14.25

$2.66 ₡1,191

-67.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 R 50.9

$5.18 ₡2,321

-40.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 R 107

$19.88 ₡8,916

-67.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 R 36.48

$2.90 ₡1,300

-23.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 R 45.98

$3.63 ₡1,626

-23.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 R 24.97

$1.12 ₡504

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.35 R 549

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-54.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 R 9.57

$2.14 ₡958

-72.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.57

$1.57 ₡703

-43.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.59 R 191

$8.52 ₡3,823

36.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.88

$1.52 ₡682

-8.55%

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

$35.2K R 579.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

62.82%

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

$31.7K R 522.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-8.21%

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

$105 R 1,734

$96.3 ₡43.2K

9.29%

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

$34.81 R 573

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-3.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.50 R 700

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-20.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.96 R 378

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-67.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.87 R 179

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-68.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 R 120

$7.89 ₡3,539

-7.86%

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

$242 R 3,985

$494 ₡221.6K

-51.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,516 R 90.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-53.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 R 871

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 R 544

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-40.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 R 1,626

$77.9 ₡34.9K

26.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 R 1,438

$79.6 ₡35.7K

9.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 R 4,378

$788 ₡353.4K

-66.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 R 5,472

$794 ₡356.2K

-58.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 R 10.5K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-83.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 R 15.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-33.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 R 14.6K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-87.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$649 R 10.7K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-46.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$935 R 15.4K

$864 ₡387.3K

8.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.62

26.91%

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

Last update for Kimberley: 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

Kimberley

$332 29.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 139% $462

Groceries & Markets

Kimberley

$228 20.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 54.8% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kimberley

$183 16.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 1.8% $3.2

Eating Out

Kimberley

$181 16.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 16.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Kimberley

$122 10.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 1.8% $2.3

Getting Around

Kimberley

$44 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 96.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Kimberley

$38 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 133% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $266 in Kimberley versus $788 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 8% higher in Kimberley, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Kimberley versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $352 – making Kimberley the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Kimberley

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:10 11:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

8 h behind Kimberley

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

225,160

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 20, 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 20, 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

Kimberley Nosara 12,520 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Kimberley
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

Kimberley vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,692 per month in Kimberley and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kimberley, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,128 in Kimberley and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 63%.

Public transport costs about 118% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kimberley it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kimberley – 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 Kimberley. 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.