Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $715 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
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Dar es Salaam Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dar es Salaam

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 Dar es Salaam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $715 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Dar es Salaam $715

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,114 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Dar es Salaam $1,114

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,513 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Dar es Salaam $1,513

Nosara costs about 157% more than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Dar es Salaam is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$1.88 TZS 4,931

550.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$18.70 TZS 49.1K

221.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.50 TZS 19.7K

0.53%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.93 TZS 5,069

123.32%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.35 TZS 910

391.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.22 TZS 578

513.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.01 TZS 2,643

220.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.90 TZS 4,993

135.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.85 TZS 2,232

84.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.61 TZS 1,596

419.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.05 TZS 2,764

130.48%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.04 TZS 5,366

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.13 TZS 24.0K

-18.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

123.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$3.99 TZS 10.5K

242.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.46 TZS 6,455

-5.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.06 TZS 2,775

51.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.08 TZS 2,822

338.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.92 TZS 2,412

80.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.89 TZS 2,336

317.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.99 TZS 2,610

260.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.82 TZS 2,160

34.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.39 TZS 1,016

553.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.09 TZS 5,494

136.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$7.27 TZS 19.1K

175.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.94 TZS 2,455

196.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.63 TZS 4,267

116.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.26 TZS 688

357.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$14.84 TZS 38.9K

385.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.68 TZS 4,417

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.50 TZS 3,943

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$13.03 TZS 34.2K

-32.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.37 TZS 3,591

14.60%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$16.8K TZS 44.0M

30.02%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$25.9K TZS 68.0M

33.75%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$56.6 TZS 148.5K

65.14%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$8.88 TZS 23.3K

295.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$34.50 TZS 90.5K

49.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$85.3 TZS 223.9K

-16.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$10.01 TZS 26.3K

254.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.23 TZS 13.7K

49.90%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$568 TZS 1.5M

-13.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$13.4K TZS 35.1M

-11.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$15.23 TZS 40.0K

251.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$25.44 TZS 66.8K

119.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$44.69 TZS 117.3K

77.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$60.1 TZS 157.6K

31.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$566 TZS 1.5M

38.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$194 TZS 508.6K

302.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,348 TZS 3.5M

186.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$436 TZS 1.1M

222.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,540 TZS 4.0M

352.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,058 TZS 2.8M

13.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$283 TZS 741.9K

209.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

18.25

-52.77%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Dar es Salaam

$194 27.5% 75.1% $586

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6% 56.4% $197

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Dar es Salaam

$72 10.2% 65.7% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.2% 44.5% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3% 45.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6% 10% $8.7

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.6% 71.1% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $566 in Dar es Salaam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 210% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $19.00 in Dar es Salaam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $152 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

5,383,728

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, 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).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,624 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD). 1 EUR = 2,943 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Dar es Salaam 13,950 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dar es Salaam

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 Dar es Salaam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 157%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,072 in Dar es Salaam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dar es Salaam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $568 in Dar es Salaam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 130% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dar es Salaam, where all-in costs run around $715, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dar es Salaam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dar es Salaam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.