Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingstone and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $202 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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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Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$202

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $202 per month in Livingstone vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Livingstone $202
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $374 per month in Livingstone vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Livingstone $374
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $546 per month in Livingstone vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Livingstone $546
Nosara $3,712

Livingstone is about 89% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Livingstone sits 85% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 ZMW 147

$12.22 ₡5,509

-39.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ZMW 599

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-49.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 ZMW 180

$7.54 ₡3,399

20.56%

Cappuccino

$5.00 ZMW 99.2

$4.31 ₡1,941

16.01%

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.68

$1.35 ₡608

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.26 ZMW 402

$20.01 ₡9,020

1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 ZMW 49.86

$1.55 ₡701

61.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

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)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Livingstone: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Livingstone

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Livingstone

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Livingstone

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingstone

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Livingstone

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Livingstone

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Livingstone

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Livingstone versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $41.00 vs $350 – making Livingstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

02:17 2:17 AM

8 h behind Livingstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,897

4,912

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.24 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 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 ZMW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Livingstone Nosara 12,610 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Livingstone
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

Livingstone vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $202 in Livingstone, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 811% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $303 per month in Livingstone and $2,756 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 Livingstone and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $202 in Livingstone and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 811%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Livingstone, where all-in costs run around $202, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Livingstone 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 $202 in Livingstone to $1,837 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 Livingstone. 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.