Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Niamey and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Niamey: $1,338 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Niamey
🇳🇪 Niger
$1,338
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,338 in Niamey versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Niamey $1,338
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Niamey versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Niamey $1,732
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,125 in Niamey versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Niamey $2,125
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Niamey costs roughly 27% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Niamey 0% above, Nosara 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Niamey
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.54 F CFA 3,829
$12.22 ₡5,509
-46.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.86 F CFA 22.7K
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-35.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.68 F CFA 5,665
$7.54 ₡3,399
28.38%
Cappuccino
$3.10 F CFA 1,815
$4.31 ₡1,941
-28.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 F CFA 858
$1.72 ₡773
-14.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.95 F CFA 555
$1.35 ₡608
-29.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.34 F CFA 781
$3.24 ₡1,459
-58.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 F CFA 1,727
$4.48 ₡2,018
-34.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Niamey
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.48 F CFA 1,453
$1.57 ₡707
57.96%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 F CFA 336
$3.17 ₡1,429
-82.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 F CFA 982
$2.42 ₡1,091
-30.58%
Eggs
$2.18 F CFA 1,276
$3.57 ₡1,609
-38.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.43 ₡3,349
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.95 F CFA 3,480
$10.42 ₡4,697
-42.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.61 F CFA 4,453
$13.66 ₡6,156
-44.29%
Apples (1kg)
$3.57 F CFA 2,088
$2.32 ₡1,044
53.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 F CFA 941
$1.61 ₡728
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 F CFA 1,649
$4.74 ₡2,138
-40.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 F CFA 971
$1.66 ₡747
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 F CFA 855
$3.72 ₡1,679
-60.75%
Onion (1kg)
$0.70 F CFA 412
$3.57 ₡1,611
-80.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 F CFA 521
$1.10 ₡497
-19.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 F CFA 626
$2.55 ₡1,149
-58.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.62 F CFA 1,536
$4.95 ₡2,232
-47.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.94 F CFA 8,158
$20.01 ₡9,020
-30.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 F CFA 801
$2.79 ₡1,256
-50.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 F CFA 2,006
$3.53 ₡1,589
-2.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Niamey
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 F CFA 214
$1.19 ₡537
-68.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 F CFA 264
$2.24 ₡1,011
-79.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 F CFA 213
$1.55 ₡701
-76.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.81 F CFA 5,155
$8.86 ₡3,993
-0.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 F CFA 545
$1.57 ₡708
-40.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K F CFA 12.2M
$21.8K ₡9.8M
-4.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K F CFA 14.3M
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-29.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Niamey
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 F CFA 99.9K
$93.5 ₡42.1K
82.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.34 F CFA 10.1K
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-50.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$88.1 F CFA 51.6K
$51.5 ₡23.2K
71.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Niamey
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$75.6 F CFA 44.2K
$71.4 ₡32.2K
5.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.17 F CFA 3,027
$7.84 ₡3,535
-34.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Niamey
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,044 F CFA 610.9K
$490 ₡220.7K
113.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,311 F CFA 2.5M
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-63.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Niamey
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.6 F CFA 41.3K
$53.5 ₡24.1K
31.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$87.9 F CFA 51.4K
$55.8 ₡25.1K
57.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$52.5 F CFA 30.7K
$79.3 ₡35.7K
-33.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.9 F CFA 40.3K
$78.9 ₡35.6K
-12.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Niamey
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$958 F CFA 560.6K
$786 ₡354.3K
21.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$526 F CFA 307.7K
$780 ₡351.6K
-32.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$802 F CFA 469.1K
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-79.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$428 F CFA 250.2K
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-69.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,754 F CFA 1.0M
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-74.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$982 F CFA 574.7K
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-18.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Niamey
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$400 F CFA 233.8K
$876 ₡395.0K
-54.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9
8.62
4.41%

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

Last update for Niamey: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Niamey
$526
Nosara
$780 48.3% $254
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Niamey
$276
Nosara
$180 34.8% $96
Groceries & Markets
Niamey
$209 *
Nosara
$350 66.9% $140
Eating Out
Niamey
$141
Nosara
$209 48.7% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Niamey
$126
Nosara
$120 4.5% $5.6
Sport & Entertainment
Niamey
$86
Nosara
$87 1.3% $1.1
Getting Around
Niamey
$3.7 *
Nosara
$87 2228% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Niamey and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 119% 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: $39.00 in Niamey vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $350 per month, with Niamey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇪 Niamey
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
11:31 11:31 AM
04:31 4:31 AM
7 h behind Niamey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,026,848 Capital
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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 = 1.53 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Niamey Nosara 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Niamey
  • 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
Niamey vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Niamey or Nosara?
Niamey wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Niamey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Niamey or in Nosara?
On paper, salaries run 119% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Niamey compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $958 in Niamey versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Niamey or in Nosara?
Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Niamey compared to Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,338 per month in Niamey versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Niamey or in Nosara?
At $1,338 in Niamey versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Niamey but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Niamey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Niamey or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Niamey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,338 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Niamey hard to pass up.
How safe is Niamey compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Niamey 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Niamey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Niamey vs other spots: cost of living compared

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