Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Newcastle: $1,056 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Newcastle

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,056

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,056 per month in Newcastle vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Newcastle $1,056
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,623 per month in Newcastle vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Newcastle $1,623
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Newcastle vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Newcastle $2,191
Nosara $3,818

Newcastle is about 43% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Newcastle sits 22% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 R 149

$12.35 ₡5,539

-26.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.41 R 600

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-40.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 R 86.8

$7.52 ₡3,373

-29.92%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R 36.11

$4.41 ₡1,978

-50.34%

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

$1.07 R 17.68

$1.74 ₡780

-38.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.31

$1.31 ₡587

-33.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 R 43.00

$3.28 ₡1,471

-20.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 52.4

$4.47 ₡2,004

-28.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.68

$1.56 ₡701

-23.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 R 18.31

$3.02 ₡1,355

-63.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.61

$2.51 ₡1,125

-47.81%

Eggs

$1.88 R 30.94

$3.57 ₡1,603

-47.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.54 R 108

$7.43 ₡3,333

-11.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 R 81.8

$10.52 ₡4,717

-52.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.09 R 117

$13.97 ₡6,265

-49.25%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 R 14.78

$2.35 ₡1,052

-61.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 R 17.02

$1.61 ₡720

-36.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 R 16.56

$4.80 ₡2,152

-79.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 R 21.71

$1.61 ₡724

-18.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 R 15.81

$3.80 ₡1,703

-74.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R 20.01

$3.69 ₡1,657

-67.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 R 12.90

$1.13 ₡507

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R 9.44

$2.66 ₡1,191

-78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 R 51.9

$5.18 ₡2,321

-39.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.97 R 48.95

$19.88 ₡8,916

-85.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.80

$2.90 ₡1,300

-52.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.03

$3.63 ₡1,626

-74.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 R 24.13

$1.12 ₡504

30.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.15

$2.14 ₡958

-85.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R 13.41

$1.57 ₡703

-48.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.28 R 235

$8.52 ₡3,823

67.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.31

$1.52 ₡682

1.32%

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

$35.0K R 576.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

61.90%

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

$34.1K R 561.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-1.26%

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

$151 R 2,481

$96.3 ₡43.2K

56.38%

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

$36.61 R 603

$35.89 ₡16.1K

2.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.49 R 618

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-30.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.66 R 522

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-55.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.84 R 179

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-68.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 R 116

$7.89 ₡3,539

-10.77%

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

$259 R 4,272

$494 ₡221.6K

-47.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,413 R 89.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-54.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 R 881

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-0.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.63 R 538

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-41.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 R 1,509

$77.9 ₡34.9K

17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 R 1,363

$79.6 ₡35.7K

3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 R 6,460

$788 ₡353.4K

-50.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 R 5,989

$794 ₡356.2K

-54.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R 11.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 R 11.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-49.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$878 R 14.5K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-87.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$645 R 10.6K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-47.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.62

31.55%

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

Last update for Newcastle: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newcastle

$364 34.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 119% $431

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newcastle

$225 21.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 17.3% $39

Groceries & Markets

Newcastle

$153 14.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 131% $199

Eating Out

Newcastle

$142 13.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 49.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Newcastle

$117 11.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2.5% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Newcastle

$46 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 91% $42

Getting Around

Newcastle

$10 * 1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 751% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Newcastle versus $788 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 $36.00 in Newcastle versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $352 – making Newcastle the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Newcastle

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

01:11 1:11 AM

8 h behind Newcastle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

363,236

4,912

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Newcastle Nosara 13,030 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Newcastle
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

Newcastle vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,056 in Newcastle, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 74% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,584 per month in Newcastle and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Newcastle, 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 $1,056 in Newcastle and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 74%.

Kindergarten costs $259 per month in Newcastle and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Newcastle, where all-in costs run around $1,056, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Newcastle 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 $1,056 in Newcastle to $1,839 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 Newcastle. 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.