Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Fort Portal

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Portal: $388 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Fort Portal
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Fort Portal Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Fort Portal

🇺🇬 Uganda

$388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Fort Portal

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $388 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Fort Portal $388

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $611 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Fort Portal $611

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $835 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Fort Portal $835

Nosara costs about 373% more than Fort Portal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Fort Portal is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.53 UGX 10.4K

388.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.99 UGX 102.8K

144.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.56 UGX 31.1K

-0.53%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.49 UGX 10.3K

77.11%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.36 UGX 1,475

383.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.26 UGX 1,066

403.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.26 UGX 5,169

160.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.83 UGX 7,530

144.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.29 UGX 1,184

437.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.78 UGX 3,207

287.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.02 UGX 4,202

146.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.27 UGX 5,231

181.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.39 UGX 18.0K

69.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.67 UGX 19.2K

125.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$3.30 UGX 13.6K

323.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.07 UGX 8,509

13.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.72 UGX 2,954

123.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.28 UGX 5,270

275.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.19 UGX 4,880

35.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.21 UGX 4,970

214.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.60 UGX 2,472

515.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.74 UGX 3,041

52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.51 UGX 2,107

421.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.50 UGX 10.3K

107.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.84 UGX 19.9K

310.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.71 UGX 2,939

308.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.01 UGX 4,173

259.41%

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

$0.52 UGX 2,158

311.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.30 UGX 1,227

423.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$3.06 UGX 12.6K

178.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.24 UGX 5,103

22.58%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$7,493 UGX 30.8M

188.37%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$7,377 UGX 30.3M

367.93%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$71.3 UGX 293.1K

35.12%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.70 UGX 48.1K

206.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$34.97 UGX 143.8K

53.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.44 UGX 30.6K

6.05%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$254 UGX 1.0M

94.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,385 UGX 34.5M

41.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$14.26 UGX 58.7K

278.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$12.82 UGX 52.8K

332.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$32.90 UGX 135.3K

136.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$44.59 UGX 183.4K

78.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

20.75

-58.46%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Fort Portal

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Fort Portal

$121 31.2% 65.6% $231

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Fort Portal

$85 22% 59.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Fort Portal

$118 30.4% 36.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Fort Portal

$47 12.1% 60.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Fort Portal

$15 * 3.8% 83% $72

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Fort Portal

$2 * 0.5% 97.7% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $25.00 in Fort Portal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $121 – making Fort Portal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇬 Fort Portal

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

06:49 6:49 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

54,275

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, 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).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Fort Portal 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Fort Portal

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 Fort Portal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 373% more than Fort Portal, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $583 in Fort Portal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $25.00 in Fort Portal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 191% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fort Portal, where all-in costs run around $388, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Fort Portal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fort Portal costs $388 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Fort Portal. 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.