Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and George

For one person, living is cheaper in George: $1,105 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
54

Cost of Living Index in George
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George Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

George

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in George

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,105 in George.

Nosara $1,839
George $1,105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,834 in George.

Nosara $2,828
George $1,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,563 in George.

Nosara $3,818
George $2,563

Living in Nosara is roughly 66% more expensive than in George, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, George is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.87 R 179

13.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$41.26 R 680

48.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.81 R 79.3

56.34%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.10 R 34.66

110.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.06 R 17.47

64.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.77 R 12.63

70.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.72 R 44.76

20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.20 R 52.8

39.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.13 R 18.55

38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.04 R 17.20

190.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.43 R 23.63

75.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.80 R 46.05

27.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.36 R 138

-11.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.45 R 89.8

93.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.66 R 110

109.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.61 R 26.49

45.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.47 R 24.19

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.54 R 25.33

211.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.73 R 28.44

-6.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.63 R 26.89

133.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.42 R 23.41

159.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.25 R 20.53

-9.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.97 R 15.99

174.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.18 R 52.4

62.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.72 R 77.8

321.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.22 R 20.09

137.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.73 R 28.48

109.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.54 R 25.37

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$27.77 R 457

161.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.58 R 9.50

268.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.47 R 7.67

234.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.38 R 138

1.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.22 R 20.03

24.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.7K R 488.9K

-27.18%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.4K R 483.7K

17.57%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$121 R 1,995

-20.46%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.44 R 287

105.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$45.19 R 745

18.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.75 R 490

140.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$10.64 R 175

228.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.08 R 100

29.77%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$137 R 2,263

259.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,187 R 85.5K

128.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$71.5 R 1,177

-24.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.94 R 625

46.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$112 R 1,845

-30.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$85.8 R 1,413

-7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$422 R 6,956

86.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$365 R 6,010

117.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$773 R 12.7K

409.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$929 R 15.3K

52.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$871 R 14.4K

693.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$652 R 10.7K

87.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,364 R 22.5K

-36.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.92

-21.06%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for George: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

George

$365 33% 54.1% $430

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

George

$186 16.8% 47.2% $166

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

George

$154 13.9% 27.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

George

$184 16.6% 1.1% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

George

$138 12.5% 15.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

George

$42 3.8% 52% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

George

$37 3.3% 57.7% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $422 in George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $41.00 in George for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $186 per month, with George cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 George

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

11:26 11:26 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

188,580

💱 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 George 12,290 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
George

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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in George. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $422 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in George – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,105 in George – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,105 in George versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes George the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and George 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 George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.