Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Busia

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $73.2 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$73.2

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Busia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $73.2 in Busia.

Nosara $1,837
Busia $73.2

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $118 in Busia.

Nosara $2,775
Busia $118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $163 in Busia.

Nosara $3,712
Busia $163

Living in Nosara is roughly 2409% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Busia is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

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

$0.29 UGX 1,160

441.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.23 UGX 4,972

157.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.53 UGX 6,180

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$3.78 UGX 15.3K

261.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.43 UGX 9,841

-4.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.78 UGX 3,140

112.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.46 UGX 5,898

144.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.24 UGX 961

962.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$1.15 UGX 4,663

330.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.03 UGX 20.3K

297.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.98 UGX 3,950

184.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.26 UGX 5,110

180.16%

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

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 Busia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Busia

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Busia

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

13:10 1:10 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

64,900

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, 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).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,533 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Busia 13,250 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Busia

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 Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 2409% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $110 in Busia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 386% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $73.2 in Busia – a 2409% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $73.2 in Busia versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Busia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $73.2 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Busia 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 Busia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2409% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.