Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Benguela

For one person, living is cheaper in Benguela: $58.8 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 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

$1,837

/mo nomad

Benguela

🇦🇴 Angola

$58.8

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Benguela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $58.8 in Benguela.

Nosara $1,837
Benguela $58.8

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $83.2 in Benguela.

Nosara $2,775
Benguela $83.2

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $107 in Benguela.

Nosara $3,712
Benguela $107

Living in Nosara is roughly 3024% more expensive than in Benguela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Benguela is 96% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$2.66 AOA 2,431

359.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.78 AOA 9,838

-30.06%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.90 AOA 821

91.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

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

$3,801 AOA 3.5M

-76.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-65.52%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Benguela: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Benguela

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Benguela

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Benguela

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Benguela

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Benguela

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Benguela

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Benguela

–

Cost Breakdown

Benguela pays 334% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇴 Benguela

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

513,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AOA, 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).

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,023 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.78 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Benguela 11,220 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Benguela

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 Benguela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benguela wins on cost – living expenses run 3024% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Benguela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 334% lower in Benguela. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

At $58.8 in Benguela versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Benguela but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Benguela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Benguela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $58.8 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Benguela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Benguela 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 Benguela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3024% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.