Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chingola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $435 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities 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

$1,837

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chingola

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $435 in Chingola.

Nosara $1,837
Chingola $435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $734 in Chingola.

Nosara $2,775
Chingola $734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,034 in Chingola.

Nosara $3,712
Chingola $1,034

Living in Nosara is roughly 322% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Chingola is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$14.93 ZMW 296

-18.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$24.97 ZMW 495

141.09%

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

$0.53 ZMW 10.57

224.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.34 ZMW 6.73

297.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$0.59 ZMW 11.70

449.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.26 ZMW 24.90

255.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.80 ZMW 35.71

-12.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.17 ZMW 23.16

170.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.55 ZMW 50.6

-5.10%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.86 ZMW 36.97

91.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.22 ZMW 103

99.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$4.60 ZMW 91.2

196.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.05 ZMW 40.59

13.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.99 ZMW 39.38

-19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.01 ZMW 39.91

135.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.08 ZMW 41.23

-20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.01 ZMW 59.7

23.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.48 ZMW 29.35

141.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.90 ZMW 17.80

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$1.55 ZMW 30.67

219.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.11 ZMW 101

291.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.60 ZMW 11.85

365.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$0.79 ZMW 15.69

346.84%

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

$0.63 ZMW 12.53

146.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$10.21 ZMW 203

-13.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.35 ZMW 26.71

16.30%

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

$50.0 ZMW 992

86.79%

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

$10.28 ZMW 204

594.55%

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

$20.68 ZMW 410

158.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$12.65 ZMW 251

340.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$50.5 ZMW 1,001

56.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$75.1 ZMW 1,488

5.08%

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

$15.3K ZMW 302.9K

-92.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$110 ZMW 2,180

697.01%

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 Chingola: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Chingola

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chingola

–

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 697% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $25.00 in Chingola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $165 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

07:45 7:45 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

210,073

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.24 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chingola 12,780 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chingola

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 Chingola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 322% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 697% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $435 in Chingola versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chingola but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chingola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chingola is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Chingola 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 Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 322% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.