Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and East London

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $1,001 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
49

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in East London

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,001 in East London, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
East London $1,001

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,632 in East London, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
East London $1,632

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,262 in East London, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
East London $2,262

Nosara costs about 84% more than East London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while East London is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.27 R 153

33.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$38.10 R 628

60.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.73 R 94.4

31.24%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.07 R 34.16

113.04%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.02 R 16.79

70.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.78 R 12.92

67.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.71 R 44.62

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.16 R 52.1

41.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.17 R 19.32

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.94 R 15.51

221.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.52 R 24.99

65.13%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.29 R 37.81

55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.72 R 144

-14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.36 R 88.3

96.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.64 R 109

110.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.55 R 25.49

51.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.55 R 25.62

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.68 R 27.68

185.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.51 R 24.83

6.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.67 R 27.53

127.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.42 R 23.45

159.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.12 R 18.49

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.92 R 15.19

189.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.85 R 47.01

81.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.90 R 80.7

305.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.14 R 18.79

154.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$0.91 R 15.04

298.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.54 R 25.40

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$46.97 R 774

54.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.19 R 19.60

79.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.49 R 8.11

220.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.55 R 141

-0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.35 R 22.30

12.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.4K R 582.9K

-38.92%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.1K R 495.4K

14.78%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$121 R 1,994

-20.43%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.82 R 541

9.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$44.33 R 730

20.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.22 R 646

82.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.81 R 79.3

64.03%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$176 R 2,896

181.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,405 R 89.1K

119.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$57.3 R 944

-5.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.61 R 554

64.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$73.7 R 1,214

5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$95.2 R 1,568

-16.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$289 R 4,760

172.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$256 R 4,219

210.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$547 R 9,017

619.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$655 R 10.8K

116.84%

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

$1,657 R 27.3K

-47.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-21.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for East London: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

East London

$256 25.6% 67.8% $538

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

East London

$181 18.1% 48.5% $171

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

East London

$143 14.3% 32.3% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

East London

$198 19.8% 6.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

East London

$117 11.7% 2.6% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

East London

$49 4.9% 44.1% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

East London

$57 5.7% 34.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $289 in East London. 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 92% higher in East London, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $38.00 in East London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $181 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 East London

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

13:07 1:07 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

267,007

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara East London 12,800 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
East London

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,001 in East London – roughly 84% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,502 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $176 in East London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 94% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $1,001, than in Nosara at $1,839. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,001 in East London to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 East London. 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.