Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bamenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamenda: $679 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Bamenda
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Bamenda Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Bamenda

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$679

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bamenda

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $679 in Bamenda, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Bamenda $679

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $900 in Bamenda, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Bamenda $900

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,122 in Bamenda, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Bamenda $1,122

Nosara costs about 171% more than Bamenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Bamenda is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$4.98 FCFA 2,914

145.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.45 FCFA 3,774

16.90%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.17 FCFA 685

268.38%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.67 FCFA 980

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.61 FCFA 355

121.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.57 FCFA 918

106.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.66 FCFA 972

169.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.89 FCFA 1,693

-45.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.78 FCFA 459

306.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.96 FCFA 1,144

23.47%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.05 FCFA 1,786

17.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.73 FCFA 2,180

179.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$4.75 FCFA 2,780

187.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.50 FCFA 1,464

-7.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.89 FCFA 522

80.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.18 FCFA 692

301.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.32 FCFA 775

25.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.11 FCFA 1,820

19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.52 FCFA 889

134.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.84 FCFA 491

30.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.72 FCFA 423

254.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$1.69 FCFA 986

192.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$9.97 FCFA 5,835

100.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.39 FCFA 814

100.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.67 FCFA 976

111.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.25 FCFA 733

-4.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$8.91 FCFA 5,214

708.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.57 FCFA 335

292.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.59 FCFA 343

162.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$5.48 FCFA 3,205

61.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.46 FCFA 854

7.53%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$168 FCFA 98.1K

-44.27%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$30.02 FCFA 17.6K

16.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$42.97 FCFA 25.1K

19.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$17.04 FCFA 9,968

319.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.73 FCFA 5,108

-10.19%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$171 FCFA 99.8K

186.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$25.47 FCFA 14.9K

110.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$42.32 FCFA 24.8K

31.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$47.39 FCFA 27.7K

67.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$50.3 FCFA 29.4K

56.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$69.2 FCFA 40.5K

1035.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$34.85 FCFA 20.4K

2137.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$94.7 FCFA 55.4K

825.74%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Bamenda: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Bamenda

$35 5.2% 95.5% $745

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Bamenda

$174 * 25.9% 50.3% $176

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Bamenda

$94 14% 55.3% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Bamenda

$241 36% 33.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Bamenda

$74 11.1% 38.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bamenda

$35 5.2% 60.4% $53

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bamenda

$17 2.6% 79.9% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $69.2 in Bamenda. 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 826% 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

🇨🇲 Bamenda

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

13:58 1:58 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,735,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Bamenda 10,520 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Bamenda

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 Bamenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $679 in Bamenda – roughly 171% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,019 in Bamenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $679 in Bamenda. That's a gap of about 171%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $171 in Bamenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bamenda, where all-in costs run around $679, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Bamenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $679 in Bamenda to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bamenda. 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.