Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dakar

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,429 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dakar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,429 in Dakar.

Nosara $1,837
Dakar $1,429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,206 in Dakar.

Nosara $2,775
Dakar $2,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,983 in Dakar.

Nosara $3,712
Dakar $2,983

Living in Nosara is roughly 29% more expensive than in Dakar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Dakar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.25 F CFA 3,068

132.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

14.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$11.01 F CFA 6,438

-31.52%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.28 F CFA 1,919

31.40%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.25 F CFA 728

37.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.85 F CFA 499

58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.62 F CFA 1,533

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.31 F CFA 2,519

3.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.50 F CFA 1,463

-37.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.75 F CFA 439

322.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.67 F CFA 979

44.91%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.40 F CFA 1,401

48.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$17.32 F CFA 10.1K

-57.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$9.12 F CFA 5,331

14.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.17 F CFA 6,527

22.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.18 F CFA 1,857

-27.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.92 F CFA 1,125

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.87 F CFA 1,679

65.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.73 F CFA 1,010

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.39 F CFA 811

167.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.91 F CFA 534

292.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.10 F CFA 642

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.65 F CFA 379

292.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.11 F CFA 1,235

134.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$16.95 F CFA 9,909

18.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.60 F CFA 936

74.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.36 F CFA 1,964

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.41 F CFA 239

190.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$77.5 F CFA 45.3K

-7.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.12 F CFA 1,242

5.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.19 F CFA 1,280

-29.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$17.08 F CFA 9,986

-48.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.70 F CFA 991

-7.65%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$50.4K F CFA 29.5M

-56.78%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$47.7K F CFA 27.9M

-27.42%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$200 F CFA 117.0K

-53.33%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$11.58 F CFA 6,767

203.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$46.09 F CFA 26.9K

11.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$44.68 F CFA 26.1K

59.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$23.24 F CFA 13.6K

52.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.56 F CFA 5,006

-8.41%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$325 F CFA 189.7K

50.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$10.3K F CFA 6.0M

15.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$58.1 F CFA 33.9K

-7.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$46.29 F CFA 27.1K

20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$83.9 F CFA 49.0K

-5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$95.1 F CFA 55.6K

-17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$824 F CFA 481.7K

-4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$436 F CFA 255.1K

78.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,757 F CFA 1.0M

119.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$915 F CFA 535.1K

53.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,961 F CFA 2.9M

40.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,492 F CFA 872.0K

-19.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$343 F CFA 200.7K

155.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.75

-1.49%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dakar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Dakar

$436 30.9% 44% $343

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Dakar

$294 20.8% 15.8% $55

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Dakar

$145 10.2% 31% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Dakar

$258 18.2% 43.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Dakar

$128 9% 5.9% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dakar

$62 4.4% 29% $25

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dakar

$92 6.5% 6.2% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $824 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 155% 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 $53.0 in Dakar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $294 per month, with Dakar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇳 Dakar

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

03:53 3:53 AM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,396,800 Capital

💱 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 = 1.53 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 = 1.53 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Dakar 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dakar

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 Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Dakar differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,429 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 155% 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 $824 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,429 in Dakar – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 8% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,429 in Dakar versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Dakar 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 Dakar 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 Dakar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.