Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Edenvale

For one person, living is cheaper in Edenvale: $1,392 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Edenvale
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,392
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Edenvale

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,392 in Edenvale, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Edenvale $1,392

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,077 in Edenvale, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Edenvale $2,077

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,763 in Edenvale, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Edenvale $2,763

Nosara costs about 32% more than Edenvale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Edenvale sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Edenvale by 3%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Edenvale
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$9.25 R 152
33.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$43.09 R 710
41.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$5.78 R 95.3
30.10%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$2.30 R 37.97
91.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$1.04 R 17.11
67.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.82 R 13.54
59.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$2.63 R 43.36
24.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$3.21 R 52.9
39.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Edenvale
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.27 R 20.86
22.83%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.13 R 18.58
167.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.78 R 29.32
41.01%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$2.45 R 40.33
45.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$8.82 R 145
-15.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$5.60 R 92.3
87.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$7.18 R 118
94.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$1.73 R 28.44
35.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.87 R 30.85
-13.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$1.72 R 28.30
179.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$1.81 R 29.84
-11.05%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.49 R 24.54
155.03%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.71 R 28.21
115.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.17 R 19.24
-3.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.33 R 21.90
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$3.23 R 53.2
60.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$5.23 R 86.1
280.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.68 R 27.61
72.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$1.88 R 31.01
93.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Edenvale
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$0.29 R 4.72
637.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$0.81 R 13.40
93.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$14.43 R 238
-40.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.57 R 25.80
-3.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$35.9K R 591.2K
-39.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$31.9K R 525.8K
8.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Edenvale
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$152 R 2,501
-36.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$37.72 R 622
-4.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$37.16 R 612
44.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Edenvale
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$47.78 R 787
49.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$26.78 R 441
30.36%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$7.45 R 123
5.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Edenvale
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$244 R 4,012
102.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$7,762 R 127.9K
52.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Edenvale
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$57.5 R 946
-6.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$46.61 R 768
18.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$110 R 1,813
-29.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$105 R 1,726
-24.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Edenvale
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$722 R 11.9K
9.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$605 R 9,966
31.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,073 R 17.7K
267.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$1,038 R 17.1K
36.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$1,028 R 16.9K
19.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Edenvale
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
10.91
-20.99%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Edenvale: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Edenvale
$605 23.8% $189
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Edenvale
$204 42.2% $148
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Edenvale
$146 31.1% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Edenvale
$227 22% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Edenvale
$143 19.5% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Edenvale
$63 28.3% $25
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Edenvale
$4.4 * 95% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $722 in Edenvale. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $43.00 in Edenvale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $204 – making Edenvale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇿🇦 Edenvale
🕒 Local time
01:40 1:40 AM
09:40 9:40 AM
8 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
60,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Edenvale 12,860 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Edenvale

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 Edenvale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Edenvale?
Nosara costs about 32% more than Edenvale, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nosara and in Edenvale?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,088 in Edenvale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Nosara or Edenvale?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Edenvale, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Nosara compared to Edenvale?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,392 in Edenvale. That's a gap of about 32%.
How do childcare costs compare in Nosara and in Edenvale?
Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $244 in Edenvale. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Nosara or in Edenvale?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Edenvale, where all-in costs run around $1,392, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Edenvale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Edenvale?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Edenvale costs $1,392 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Nosara compared to Edenvale?
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.
Should I move to Nosara or to Edenvale?
If budget matters most, go with Edenvale. 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.

Nosara vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?