Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Calabar

For one person, living is cheaper in Calabar: $821 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most 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

$1,846

/mo nomad

Calabar

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Calabar

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $821 in Calabar, rent included.

Nosara $1,846
Calabar $821

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $1,130 in Calabar, rent included.

Nosara $2,833
Calabar $1,130

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $1,440 in Calabar, rent included.

Nosara $3,820
Calabar $1,440

Nosara costs about 125% more than Calabar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Calabar is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,575

$1.14 ₦1,531

984.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,557

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,986

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

$1.72 ₡776

$0.35 ₦475

391.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$0.19 ₦255

605.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,505

$0.87 ₦1,160

283.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,048

$1.22 ₦1,637

272.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,426

$1.37 ₦1,831

130.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$1.46 ₦1,959

63.70%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,217

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,655

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,302

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,031

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,169

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,765

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,640

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$0.43 ₦577

511.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,267

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,893

$4.51 ₦6,047

337.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,314

$1.10 ₦1,480

164.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,597

$1.51 ₦2,020

134.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡969

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,958

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,404

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

$496 ₡224.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡368.9K

$1,138 ₦1.5M

-28.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.6K

$761 ₦1.0M

5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

$1,872 ₦2.5M

113.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡644.9K

$1,328 ₦1.8M

7.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Calabar: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Calabar

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Calabar

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Calabar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Calabar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Calabar

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Calabar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Calabar

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $1,138 in Calabar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇬 Calabar

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

14:50 2:50 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

371,022

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Between locations

Nosara Calabar 10,350 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Calabar

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 Calabar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,846 in Nosara, $821 in Calabar – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $1,232 in Calabar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,138 in Calabar.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,846 in Nosara and $821 in Calabar. That’s a gap of about 125%.

Groceries cost about 732% 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 $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Calabar, where all-in costs run around $821, than in Nosara at $1,846. In Calabar 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 $821 in Calabar to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.