Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Afgoye

For one person, living is cheaper in Afgoye: $70.0 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 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

Afgoye

🇸🇴 Somalia

$70.0

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Afgoye

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $70.0 in Afgoye.

Nosara $1,839
Afgoye $70.0

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $137 in Afgoye.

Nosara $2,828
Afgoye $137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $204 in Afgoye.

Nosara $3,818
Afgoye $204

Living in Nosara is roughly 2528% more expensive than in Afgoye, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Afgoye is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$0.99 SOS 561

1147.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.44 SOS 1,956

118.60%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$0.48 SOS 274

818.75%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.51 SOS 292

241.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.23 SOS 131

469.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

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

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$5.03 SOS 2,855

613.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$25.29 SOS 14.4K

111.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$9.86 SOS 5,599

447.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$18.24 SOS 10.4K

336.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$59.3 SOS 33.7K

1229.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$162 SOS 92.0K

2332.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$89.8 SOS 51.0K

1480.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$203 SOS 115.5K

324.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Afgoye: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Afgoye

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Afgoye

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Afgoye

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Afgoye

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Afgoye

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Afgoye

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Afgoye

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $59.3 in Afgoye. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 325% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇴 Afgoye

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

21:48 9:48 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

65,461

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SOS, 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).

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 639 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Between locations

Nosara Afgoye 14,400 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Afgoye

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 Afgoye: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Afgoye differ by about 2528% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $70.0 including rent). Afgoye is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 325% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $59.3 in Afgoye. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

At $70.0 in Afgoye versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Afgoye but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Afgoye 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 Afgoye 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 Afgoye gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2528% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.