Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Abuja

For one person, living is cheaper in Abuja: $1,005 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$1,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Abuja

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 Abuja actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,005 in Abuja.

Nosara $1,837
Abuja $1,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,961 in Abuja.

Nosara $2,775
Abuja $1,961

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,916 in Abuja.

Nosara $3,712
Abuja $2,916

Living in Nosara is roughly 83% more expensive than in Abuja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Abuja is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$2.01 ₦2,673

507.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$30.45 ₦40.5K

97.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$3.90 ₦5,177

93.33%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.38 ₦4,496

27.51%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.50 ₦667

244.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.72 ₦963

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.02 ₦1,349

217.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.10 ₦2,791

113.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$3.75 ₦4,975

-58.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.30 ₦1,726

143.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.29 ₦3,045

5.68%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.80 ₦2,390

98.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$10.86 ₦14.4K

-31.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.22 ₦6,931

99.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$5.78 ₦7,673

136.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.98 ₦2,631

17.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.44 ₦1,918

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.54 ₦2,044

207.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.26 ₦3,002

-26.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.80 ₦2,385

106.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.39 ₦3,172

49.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.60 ₦802

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.38 ₦504

571.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$1.95 ₦2,595

153.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.96 ₦7,923

235.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.23 ₦1,640

126.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.83 ₦2,433

92.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.44 ₦580

170.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$32.75 ₦43.5K

120.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.63 ₦836

255.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.80 ₦1,062

93.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$1.87 ₦2,478

373.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.56 ₦741

180.36%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$26.0K ₦34.5M

-16.13%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$18.1K ₦24.1M

91.13%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$115 ₦152.3K

-18.49%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$6.43 ₦8,537

446.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$29.45 ₦39.1K

74.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$26.20 ₦34.8K

172.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$9.60 ₦12.8K

269.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.59 ₦8,749

18.97%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$45.94 ₦61.0K

965.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$3,119 ₦4.1M

280.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$26.42 ₦35.1K

102.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$60.3 ₦80.0K

-7.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$79.3 ₦105.3K

-0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$107 ₦142.3K

-26.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$591 ₦785.2K

32.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$345 ₦458.2K

126.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,444 ₦1.9M

167.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,567 ₦2.1M

-10.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$717 ₦952.4K

872.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$384 ₦510.5K

212.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$170 ₦225.5K

416.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

22.5

-61.69%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Abuja: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Abuja

$345 34.6% 55.8% $435

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Abuja

$218 21.8% 37.7% $132

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Abuja

$83 8.3% 60.6% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Abuja

$151 15.1% 16.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Abuja

$123 12.3% 2.1% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Abuja

$39 4% 54.8% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Abuja

$39 3.9% 55% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $591 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 416% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $30.00 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $218 per month, with Abuja cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇬 Abuja

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

08:29 8:29 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

776,298 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.71 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,328 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,490 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.71 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Abuja 10,170 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Abuja

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 Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Abuja differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,005 including rent). Abuja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 416% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $591 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,005 in Abuja – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Abuja runs roughly 120% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,005 in Abuja versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Abuja but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Abuja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Abuja are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Abuja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.