Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $889 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$889

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Lusaka versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Lusaka $889
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,510 in Lusaka versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Lusaka $1,510
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,131 in Lusaka versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Lusaka $2,131
Nosara $3,712

Living in Lusaka costs roughly 52% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lusaka is 34% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 ZMW 114

$12.22 ₡5,509

-53.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.85 ZMW 612

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-48.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ZMW 98.4

$7.54 ₡3,399

-34.22%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ZMW 57.4

$4.31 ₡1,941

-32.71%

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

$0.74 ZMW 14.65

$1.72 ₡773

-56.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZMW 9.16

$1.35 ₡608

-65.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ZMW 25.85

$3.24 ₡1,459

-59.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ZMW 44.98

$4.48 ₡2,018

-49.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ZMW 34.83

$1.57 ₡707

12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ZMW 23.41

$3.17 ₡1,429

-62.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ZMW 42.28

$2.42 ₡1,091

-11.98%

Eggs

$1.92 ZMW 38.15

$3.57 ₡1,609

-46.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 ZMW 205

$7.43 ₡3,349

39.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ZMW 124

$10.42 ₡4,697

-40.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 ZMW 131

$13.66 ₡6,156

-51.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 ZMW 69.0

$2.32 ₡1,044

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 ZMW 47.66

$1.61 ₡728

49.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 ZMW 71.1

$4.74 ₡2,138

-24.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 31.25

$1.66 ₡747

-4.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ZMW 50.1

$3.72 ₡1,679

-31.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 ZMW 35.93

$3.57 ₡1,611

-49.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ZMW 22.23

$1.10 ₡497

1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ZMW 15.68

$2.55 ₡1,149

-69.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ZMW 58.7

$4.95 ₡2,232

-40.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.26 ZMW 203

$20.01 ₡9,020

-48.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ZMW 28.53

$2.79 ₡1,256

-48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ZMW 46.63

$3.53 ₡1,589

-33.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZMW 19.51

$1.19 ₡537

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.75 ZMW 987

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-30.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 ZMW 49.71

$2.24 ₡1,011

12.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ZMW 30.84

$1.55 ₡701

0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 ZMW 99.6

$8.86 ₡3,993

-43.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ZMW 30.69

$1.57 ₡708

-1.27%

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

$7,507 ZMW 148.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-65.57%

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

$27.0K ZMW 536.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-21.94%

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

$80.5 ZMW 1,595

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-13.90%

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

$10.41 ZMW 207

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-70.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 ZMW 1,101

$51.5 ₡23.2K

7.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 ZMW 1,100

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-22.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.10 ZMW 300

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-57.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.00 ZMW 119

$7.84 ₡3,535

-23.47%

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

$139 ZMW 2,748

$490 ₡220.7K

-71.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ZMW 331.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

40.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.34 ZMW 463

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-56.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.35 ZMW 304

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-72.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.95 ZMW 911

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-42.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 ZMW 1,433

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ZMW 7,744

$786 ₡354.3K

-50.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ZMW 3,575

$780 ₡351.6K

-76.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 ZMW 21.9K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-71.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 ZMW 11.8K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-57.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,906 ZMW 37.8K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-72.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,999 ZMW 99.1K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

316.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 ZMW 6,282

$876 ₡395.0K

-63.85%

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 Lusaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$239 27.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 46% $110

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$180 20.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 333% $600

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$146 16.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 23% $34

Eating Out

Lusaka

$111 12.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 88% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$71 8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 70.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$67 7.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 29.1% $20

Getting Around

Lusaka

$64 7.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 35.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Lusaka and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 177% 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 Lusaka vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $350 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

01:16 1:16 AM

8 h behind Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

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

Lusaka Nosara 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
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

Lusaka vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka and Nosara differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($889 vs $1,837 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 177% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $391 in Lusaka versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $889 per month in Lusaka versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 45% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $889 in Lusaka versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lusaka 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 Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.