Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $354 per month in Manzini vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Manzini $354
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $515 per month in Manzini vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Manzini $515
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $677 per month in Manzini vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Manzini $677
Nosara $3,712

Manzini is about 81% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Manzini sits 74% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 SZL 21.19

$1.57 ₡707

-17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SZL 15.84

$3.17 ₡1,429

-69.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 SZL 29.52

$2.42 ₡1,091

-26.03%

Eggs

$1.18 SZL 19.51

$3.57 ₡1,609

-66.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 SZL 124

$7.43 ₡3,349

0.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 SZL 48.83

$10.42 ₡4,697

-71.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.85 SZL 30.51

$13.66 ₡6,156

-86.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 SZL 21.91

$2.32 ₡1,044

-42.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 SZL 9.73

$1.61 ₡728

-63.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 SZL 13.65

$4.74 ₡2,138

-82.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 SZL 8.48

$1.66 ₡747

-69.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 SZL 9.60

$3.72 ₡1,679

-84.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 SZL 7.73

$3.57 ₡1,611

-86.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 SZL 7.36

$1.10 ₡497

-59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SZL 11.47

$2.55 ₡1,149

-72.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 SZL 51.7

$4.95 ₡2,232

-36.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.20 SZL 52.8

$20.01 ₡9,020

-84.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SZL 10.39

$2.79 ₡1,256

-77.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 SZL 12.80

$3.53 ₡1,589

-77.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 SZL 9.89

$1.19 ₡537

-49.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 SZL 21.79

$1.57 ₡708

-15.92%

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

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-21.52%

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

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-54.58%

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

$72.4 SZL 1,193

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-22.54%

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

$12.23 SZL 202

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-65.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 SZL 494

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-41.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 SZL 60.6

$7.84 ₡3,535

-53.06%

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)

$170 SZL 2,801

$786 ₡354.3K

-78.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 SZL 1,734

$780 ₡351.6K

-86.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 SZL 6,054

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-90.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 SZL 4,517

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-80.52%

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)

$404 SZL 6,657

$876 ₡395.0K

-53.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

16.01%

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

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manzini

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Manzini

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Manzini

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manzini

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Manzini

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Manzini

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Manzini

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $170 in Manzini versus $786 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 117% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Manzini

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

03:05 3:05 AM

8 h behind Manzini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,508

4,912

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 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 SZL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manzini Nosara 13,180 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Manzini
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

Manzini vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 420% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $530 per month in Manzini and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, 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 $354 in Manzini and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 420%.

Groceries cost about 198% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $354, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manzini costs $354 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Manzini. 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.