Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Aba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $408 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 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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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Aba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Aba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $408 in Aba, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Aba $408

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $664 in Aba, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Aba $664

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $921 in Aba, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Aba $921

Nosara costs about 350% more than Aba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Aba is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.43 ₦9,880

1.21%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$0.87 ₦1,159

406.90%

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

$1.74 ₡780

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.06 ₦2,746

59.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.35 ₦3,120

90.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$3.69 ₦4,907

-57.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.22 ₦2,951

36.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.43 ₦15.2K

-35.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$1.28 ₦1,703

991.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.35 ₦7,121

-56.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.56 ₦740

187.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.62 ₦4,811

4.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.16 ₦1,539

-2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.14 ₦184

1800.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.47 ₦1,959

252.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.42 ₦9,870

167.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.27 ₦1,683

128.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.46 ₦1,940

148.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$9.24 ₦12.3K

686.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$6,010 ₦8.0M

259.55%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$7,584 ₦10.1M

355.15%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$116 ₦153.7K

-16.68%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$2.22 ₦2,957

1516.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$45.39 ₦60.4K

18.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$2.06 ₦2,734

283.01%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,067 ₦1.4M

1011.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$15.19 ₦20.2K

412.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$18.89 ₦25.1K

321.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$133 ₦177.5K

490.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$451 ₦599.4K

774.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$228 ₦303.9K

521.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,102 ₦1.5M

527.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$469 ₦624.0K

160.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$96.4 ₦128.2K

795.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-28.17%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aba: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Aba

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Aba

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Aba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Aba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Aba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Aba

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Aba

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $133 in Aba. 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 796% 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

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇬 Aba

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

19:51 7:51 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,020,900

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Aba 10,240 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Aba

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

Nosara vs Aba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 350%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $612 in Aba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 109% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 686% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aba, where all-in costs run around $408, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Aba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Aba. 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.