Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chilanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Chilanga: $592 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Chilanga
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Chilanga Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Chilanga

🇿🇲 Zambia

$592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chilanga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $592 in Chilanga.

Nosara $1,839
Chilanga $592

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $941 in Chilanga.

Nosara $2,828
Chilanga $941

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,290 in Chilanga.

Nosara $3,818
Chilanga $1,290

Living in Nosara is roughly 211% more expensive than in Chilanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Chilanga is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.68 ZMW 113

117.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$30.64 ZMW 610

99.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.00 ZMW 99.5

50.40%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.86 ZMW 56.9

54.20%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.80 ZMW 15.85

117.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.46 ZMW 9.21

184.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.24 ZMW 24.63

164.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.22 ZMW 44.19

101.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.72 ZMW 34.30

-9.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.23 ZMW 24.46

145.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.14 ZMW 42.58

17.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.01 ZMW 39.92

77.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.58 ZMW 211

-29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.27 ZMW 125

67.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.61 ZMW 132

111.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.43 ZMW 68.3

-31.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.38 ZMW 47.42

-32.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.72 ZMW 74.0

29.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.54 ZMW 30.59

4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.64 ZMW 52.5

43.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.80 ZMW 35.83

105.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.11 ZMW 22.01

1.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.76 ZMW 15.11

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.09 ZMW 61.4

67.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.33 ZMW 205

92.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.43 ZMW 28.40

102.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.37 ZMW 47.15

53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.60 ZMW 51.8

-17.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.53 ZMW 30.51

2.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.22 ZMW 104

63.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.50 ZMW 29.91

1.33%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$7,599 ZMW 151.1K

184.37%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.6K ZMW 549.7K

24.89%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$82.5 ZMW 1,640

16.77%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.31 ZMW 205

248.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$54.4 ZMW 1,082

-1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.23 ZMW 124

26.65%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$140 ZMW 2,786

252.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.6K ZMW 330.0K

-28.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$23.42 ZMW 466

130.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$15.73 ZMW 313

252.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$44.76 ZMW 890

74.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-70.28%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Chilanga

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Chilanga

$241 40.7% 31.7% $112

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Chilanga

$110 18.7% 47.9% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Chilanga

$147 24.9% 20.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Chilanga

$71 11.9% 41.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chilanga

$12 * 2.1% 85.7% $75

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Chilanga

$10 * 1.7% 88.2% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $31.00 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $241 per month, with Chilanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇲 Chilanga

🕒 Local time

22:11 10:11 PM

06:11 6:11 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

107,051

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chilanga 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chilanga

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 Chilanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Chilanga differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $592 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $887 in Chilanga 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.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $140 in Chilanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chilanga – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $592 in Chilanga versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chilanga but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chilanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Chilanga 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 Chilanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.