Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
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Lome Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $557 in Lome versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Lome $557
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $980 in Lome versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Lome $980
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,404 in Lome versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Lome $1,404
Nosara $3,712

Living in Lome costs roughly 70% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lome is 58% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

$12.22 ₡5,509

-75.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-49.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

$7.54 ₡3,399

-25.20%

Cappuccino

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

$4.31 ₡1,941

31.09%

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

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

$1.72 ₡773

145.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 F CFA 407

$1.35 ₡608

-48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 F CFA 560

$3.24 ₡1,459

-70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

$4.48 ₡2,018

-61.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

$1.57 ₡707

41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 F CFA 795

$3.17 ₡1,429

-57.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 F CFA 872

$2.42 ₡1,091

-38.43%

Eggs

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

$3.57 ₡1,609

-42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

$13.66 ₡6,156

-58.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

$2.32 ₡1,044

25.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 976

$1.61 ₡728

3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

$1.66 ₡747

53.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

$3.72 ₡1,679

-52.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 F CFA 692

$3.57 ₡1,611

-66.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 F CFA 487

$2.55 ₡1,149

-67.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

$20.01 ₡9,020

-75.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 F CFA 640

$2.79 ₡1,256

-60.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 F CFA 820

$3.53 ₡1,589

-60.34%

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)

$1.22 F CFA 714

$1.55 ₡701

-21.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

$8.86 ₡3,993

-52.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 F CFA 720

$1.57 ₡708

-21.66%

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)

$146 F CFA 85.6K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

56.49%

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

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-39.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-18.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-15.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-75.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

$7.84 ₡3,535

-46.17%

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)

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-69.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 F CFA 172.2K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-79.09%

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)

$295 F CFA 172.7K

$876 ₡395.0K

-66.32%

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 Lome: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lome

$210 37.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 14.1% $30

Groceries & Markets

Lome

$140 * 25%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 150% $210

Eating Out

Lome

$136 24.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 53.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Lome

$69 12.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 26.3% $18

Getting Around

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1324% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Lome

- * 0%

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Accommodation & Living

Lome

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 197% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Lome vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $140 vs $350 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇬 Lome

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:01 5:01 AM

23:01 11:01 PM

6 h behind Lome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

837,437 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 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 XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lome Nosara 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lome
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

Lome vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 230% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 197% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you'll spend $557 per month in Lome versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 230% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 150% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $557 in Lome versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Lome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $557 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lome and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.