Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kitwe and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitwe: $183 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Kitwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$183

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $183 per month in Kitwe vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kitwe $183
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,221 per month in Kitwe vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kitwe $1,221
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,260 per month in Kitwe vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kitwe $2,260
Nosara $3,818

Kitwe is about 90% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kitwe sits 86% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

Cappuccino

$2.49 ZMW 49.49

$4.41 ₡1,978

-43.54%

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

$0.58 ZMW 11.62

$1.74 ₡780

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ZMW 15.23

$1.31 ₡587

-41.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ZMW 40.63

$3.28 ₡1,471

-37.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ZMW 50.4

$4.47 ₡2,004

-43.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ZMW 20.14

$3.02 ₡1,355

-66.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ZMW 50.6

$5.18 ₡2,321

-50.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ZMW 22.44

$2.90 ₡1,300

-61.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ZMW 19.66

$3.63 ₡1,626

-72.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ZMW 29.18

$1.52 ₡682

-3.29%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$29.9K ZMW 595.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-13.28%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$100 ZMW 1,995

$53.6 ₡24.0K

87.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.76 ZMW 294

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-79.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$599 ZMW 11.9K

$494 ₡221.6K

21.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ZMW 234.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-0.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 ZMW 24.2K

$788 ₡353.4K

54.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,452 ZMW 48.8K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,002 ZMW 39.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

41.10%

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

317.63%

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

Last update for Kitwe: 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

Kitwe

–

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Groceries & Markets

Kitwe

–

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Eating Out

Kitwe

–

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kitwe

–

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Kitwe

–

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Kitwe

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Kitwe

–

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,218 in Kitwe 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.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kitwe

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

18:50 6:50 PM

8 h behind Kitwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,092

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 19, 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 19, 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

Kitwe Nosara 12,820 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Kitwe
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

Kitwe vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $183 in Kitwe, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 903% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $275 per month in Kitwe 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 Kitwe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Kitwe and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $183 in Kitwe and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 903%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kitwe, where all-in costs run around $183, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kitwe 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 $183 in Kitwe 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 Kitwe. 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.