Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Addis Ababa

For one person, living is cheaper in Addis Ababa: $1,287 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Addis Ababa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa.

Nosara $1,837
Addis Ababa $1,287

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,891 in Addis Ababa.

Nosara $2,775
Addis Ababa $1,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,495 in Addis Ababa.

Nosara $3,712
Addis Ababa $2,495

Living in Nosara is roughly 43% more expensive than in Addis Ababa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Addis Ababa is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$4.09 ETB 658

198.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$42.95 ETB 6,901

40.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.60 ETB 1,061

14.24%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$0.89 ETB 142

384.27%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.59 ETB 94.2

191.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.64 ETB 103

110.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$0.81 ETB 131

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.31 ETB 372

93.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.07 ETB 171

46.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.17 ETB 188

170.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.17 ETB 349

11.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.75 ETB 281

104.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.35 ETB 1,181

1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$10.16 ETB 1,632

2.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$9.15 ETB 1,470

49.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$5.31 ETB 853

-56.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.68 ETB 110

136.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.16 ETB 347

119.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.65 ETB 105

155.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.49 ETB 79.3

659.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.04 ETB 167

243.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.69 ETB 111

59.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.58 ETB 92.5

339.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$7.83 ETB 1,258

-36.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.77 ETB 927

246.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.68 ETB 109

310.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.28 ETB 206

175.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.49 ETB 78.1

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$21.23 ETB 3,411

239.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.33 ETB 214

68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.27 ETB 43.19

474.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$2.04 ETB 327

334.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.90 ETB 144

74.44%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$55.7K ETB 8.9M

-60.85%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$56.7K ETB 9.1M

-38.90%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$204 ETB 32.9K

-54.30%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$7.20 ETB 1,156

387.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$208 ETB 33.5K

-75.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$43.98 ETB 7,066

62.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$36.11 ETB 5,803

-1.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$3.74 ETB 600

109.63%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$137 ETB 22.0K

256.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

-60.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$33.12 ETB 5,322

61.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$71.5 ETB 11.5K

-22.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$79.2 ETB 12.7K

0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$83.9 ETB 13.5K

-6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$694 ETB 111.6K

13.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$390 ETB 62.7K

99.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,309 ETB 371.0K

67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$782 ETB 125.6K

79.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,918 ETB 308.2K

263.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$991 ETB 159.2K

21.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$205 ETB 32.9K

327.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

18.5

-53.41%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Addis Ababa

$390 30.1% 50% $390

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Addis Ababa

$212 16.3% 39.5% $138

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Addis Ababa

$77 5.9% 63.3% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Addis Ababa

$420 32.4% 133% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Addis Ababa

$120 9.3% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Addis Ababa

$51 4% 40.9% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Addis Ababa

$26 2% 70.2% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 327% 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 $43.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $212 per month, with Addis Ababa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🕒 Local time

01:53 1:53 AM

10:53 10:53 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,500,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, 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).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Addis Ababa 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Addis Ababa

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 Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Addis Ababa differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,287 including rent). Addis Ababa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 327% 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 $694 in Addis Ababa. 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 $1,287 in Addis Ababa – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 239% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,287 in Addis Ababa versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Addis Ababa but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Addis Ababa 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 Addis Ababa 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 Addis Ababa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.