Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbabane and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbabane: $747 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Mbabane
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Mbabane Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mbabane

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$747

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $747 per month in Mbabane vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Mbabane $747
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,223 per month in Mbabane vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Mbabane $1,223
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,700 per month in Mbabane vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Mbabane $1,700
Nosara $3,712

Mbabane is about 59% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mbabane sits 44% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.27 SZL 169

$12.22 ₡5,509

-15.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.04 SZL 561

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-43.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 SZL 94.6

$7.54 ₡3,399

-23.87%

Cappuccino

$2.62 SZL 43.16

$4.31 ₡1,941

-39.21%

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

$1.12 SZL 18.41

$1.72 ₡773

-34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 SZL 10.21

$1.35 ₡608

-54.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SZL 35.58

$3.24 ₡1,459

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 SZL 40.46

$4.48 ₡2,018

-45.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SZL 25.29

$1.57 ₡707

-2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 SZL 13.34

$3.17 ₡1,429

-74.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 SZL 28.82

$2.42 ₡1,091

-27.69%

Eggs

$1.78 SZL 29.32

$3.57 ₡1,609

-50.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 SZL 181

$7.43 ₡3,349

48.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 SZL 92.3

$10.42 ₡4,697

-46.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 SZL 82.0

$13.66 ₡6,156

-63.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 SZL 28.72

$2.32 ₡1,044

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 SZL 10.38

$1.61 ₡728

-60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 SZL 20.56

$4.74 ₡2,138

-73.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 SZL 23.18

$1.66 ₡747

-15.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SZL 20.57

$3.72 ₡1,679

-66.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 SZL 24.48

$3.57 ₡1,611

-58.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 SZL 11.74

$1.10 ₡497

-35.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 SZL 12.56

$2.55 ₡1,149

-70.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 SZL 46.91

$4.95 ₡2,232

-42.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 SZL 97.8

$20.01 ₡9,020

-70.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SZL 25.10

$2.79 ₡1,256

-45.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 SZL 27.59

$3.53 ₡1,589

-52.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 SZL 12.18

$1.19 ₡537

-37.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 SZL 22.80

$1.55 ₡701

-10.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 SZL 50.0

$8.86 ₡3,993

-65.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 SZL 20.98

$1.57 ₡708

-19.11%

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)

$64.0 SZL 1,056

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-31.47%

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

$38.40 SZL 633

$35.11 ₡15.8K

9.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.97 SZL 445

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-47.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.61 SZL 373

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-68.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.04 SZL 50.1

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-91.42%

Cinema Ticket

$3.65 SZL 60.1

$7.84 ₡3,535

-53.44%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,330 SZL 104.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-46.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.21 SZL 580

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-34.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.80 SZL 244

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-73.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 SZL 1,139

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-12.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 SZL 877

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 SZL 4,406

$786 ₡354.3K

-65.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 SZL 2,950

$780 ₡351.6K

-77.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 SZL 7,332

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-88.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 SZL 5,720

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-75.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$473 SZL 7,794

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-93.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$359 SZL 5,915

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-70.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.25

8.62

-15.89%

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

Last update for Mbabane: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbabane

$180 23.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 94.7% $170

Accommodation & Living

Mbabane

$179 23.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 336% $601

Eating Out

Mbabane

$153 20.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 36.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbabane

$129 17.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 39.1% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Mbabane

$78 10.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 55.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Mbabane

$30 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 191% $57

Getting Around

Mbabane

$9.9 * 1.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 780% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Mbabane 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Mbabane versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $350 – making Mbabane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Mbabane

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

01:10 1:10 AM

8 h behind Mbabane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,874 Capital

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

Mbabane Nosara 13,160 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mbabane
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

Mbabane vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 146% more than Mbabane, 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 $1,121 per month in Mbabane 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 Mbabane, 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 $747 in Mbabane and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 146%.

Groceries cost about 95% 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 Mbabane, where all-in costs run around $747, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Mbabane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mbabane costs $747 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 Mbabane. 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.