Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cotonou

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $901 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
Learn more

Cotonou Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$901

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cotonou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $901 in Cotonou.

Nosara $1,837
Cotonou $901

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,417 in Cotonou.

Nosara $2,775
Cotonou $1,417

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,933 in Cotonou.

Nosara $3,712
Cotonou $1,933

Living in Nosara is roughly 104% more expensive than in Cotonou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Cotonou is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.05 F CFA 2,954

141.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$35.47 F CFA 20.8K

69.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.56 F CFA 5,592

-21.13%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.21 F CFA 3,051

-17.27%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.06 F CFA 619

62.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.89 F CFA 521

51.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$0.84 F CFA 490

285.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.56 F CFA 1,497

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$3.07 F CFA 1,793

-48.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.19 F CFA 695

166.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.83 F CFA 1,070

32.24%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.69 F CFA 1,576

32.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.19 F CFA 5,375

-19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.44 F CFA 3,180

91.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$5.04 F CFA 2,946

171.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.05 F CFA 2,372

-42.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.84 F CFA 1,074

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.28 F CFA 750

270.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.73 F CFA 1,595

-39.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.26 F CFA 736

195.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.74 F CFA 1,021

105.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.44 F CFA 256

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.10 F CFA 641

131.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.48 F CFA 2,037

42.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$4.18 F CFA 2,444

378.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.23 F CFA 718

126.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.91 F CFA 1,116

84.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.29 F CFA 757

-7.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.34 F CFA 782

67.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.38 F CFA 809

12.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.24 F CFA 727

26.61%

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

$24.0K F CFA 14.1M

44.04%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$146 F CFA 85.4K

-35.98%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$33.86 F CFA 19.8K

3.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$49.15 F CFA 28.8K

4.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$49.30 F CFA 28.8K

44.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$3.44 F CFA 2,015

930.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.68 F CFA 5,079

-9.68%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$131 F CFA 76.5K

274.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$5,460 F CFA 3.2M

117.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$25.96 F CFA 15.2K

106.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$33.73 F CFA 19.7K

134.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$67.9 F CFA 39.7K

16.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$180 F CFA 105.6K

335.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$165 F CFA 96.6K

372.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$599 F CFA 350.7K

543.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$411 F CFA 240.7K

242.06%

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

$258 F CFA 151.0K

239.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

115.50%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cotonou: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Cotonou

$165 18.3% 78.8% $615

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Cotonou

$221 24.5% 36.8% $129

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Cotonou

$149 16.5% 29% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Cotonou

$229 25.4% 27.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4% 52.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cotonou

$67 7.4% 23.4% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5% 84.5% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $180 in Cotonou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 239% 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 $35.00 in Cotonou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $221 per month, with Cotonou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

780,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cotonou 9,680 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cotonou

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 Cotonou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 239% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $180 in Cotonou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% 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 $901 in Cotonou – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $901 in Cotonou versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cotonou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cotonou 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 Cotonou 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 Cotonou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.