Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Byumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Byumba: $418 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Byumba
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Byumba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Byumba

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$418

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Byumba

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $418 in Byumba, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Byumba $418

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $662 in Byumba, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Byumba $662

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $907 in Byumba, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Byumba $907

Nosara costs about 340% more than Byumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Byumba is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$2.66 RWF 3,907

359.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$30.91 RWF 45.4K

94.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.91 RWF 10.2K

9.12%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.43 RWF 3,578

77.37%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.81 RWF 1,186

112.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.54 RWF 792

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.04 RWF 1,532

211.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.35 RWF 3,452

90.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.83 RWF 1,214

89.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.03 RWF 1,513

207.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.32 RWF 1,934

83.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.67 RWF 2,455

113.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$4.10 RWF 6,023

81.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.47 RWF 6,572

133.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$4.45 RWF 6,536

206.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.43 RWF 3,569

-4.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.76 RWF 1,117

111.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.49 RWF 2,192

218.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.03 RWF 1,511

61.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.48 RWF 709

675.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.72 RWF 1,052

395.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.68 RWF 1,003

61.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.83 RWF 1,214

207.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.00 RWF 2,937

147.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.11 RWF 14.9K

97.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.02 RWF 1,506

173.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.60 RWF 2,346

120.62%

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

$2.75 RWF 4,043

-18.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.99 RWF 2,926

-22.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$3.31 RWF 4,872

167.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.83 RWF 2,692

-14.21%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$26.4K RWF 38.9M

-17.56%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$30.0K RWF 44.1M

15.42%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$83.6 RWF 122.8K

11.82%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$6.84 RWF 10.0K

413.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$21.24 RWF 31.2K

142.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$3.43 RWF 5,038

128.57%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$112 RWF 164.5K

337.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$9,390 RWF 13.8M

26.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$17.43 RWF 25.6K

207.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$15.75 RWF 23.1K

254.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$21.88 RWF 32.2K

262.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$34.44 RWF 50.6K

129.01%

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

16.2

-46.79%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Byumba: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Byumba

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Byumba

$150 36.8% 57% $199

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Byumba

$86 21.2% 58.7% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Byumba

$112 27.3% 38% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Byumba

$40 9.9% 66.5% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Byumba

$6.9 * 1.7% 92.1% $80

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Byumba

$13 * 3.1% 85.4% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $31.00 in Byumba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $150 – making Byumba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇷🇼 Byumba

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

43,134

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RWF, 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).

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,470 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,649 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.07 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Byumba 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Byumba

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 Byumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 340% more than Byumba, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $626 in Byumba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $31.00 in Byumba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 133% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Byumba, where all-in costs run around $418, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Byumba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Byumba costs $418 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Byumba. 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.