Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Harare

For one person, living is cheaper in Harare: $1,025 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Harare
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Harare Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Harare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$1,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Harare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,025 in Harare.

Nosara $1,837
Harare $1,025

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,682 in Harare.

Nosara $2,775
Harare $1,682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,339 in Harare.

Nosara $3,712
Harare $2,339

Living in Nosara is roughly 79% more expensive than in Harare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Harare is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$10.12 ZWL 270

20.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$45.29 ZWL 1,210

32.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.60 ZWL 150

34.64%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.01 ZWL 80.4

43.19%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.97 ZWL 26.04

77.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.45 ZWL 12.07

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.22 ZWL 32.56

165.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.95 ZWL 52.2

129.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.47 ZWL 39.29

6.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.02 ZWL 27.29

210.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.71 ZWL 45.80

41.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.98 ZWL 52.8

80.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.40 ZWL 304

-34.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.53 ZWL 148

88.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$6.42 ZWL 171

112.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.07 ZWL 82.1

-24.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.70 ZWL 45.29

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.08 ZWL 55.4

127.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.51 ZWL 40.45

9.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.75 ZWL 46.67

112.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.78 ZWL 47.51

100.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.22 ZWL 32.72

-9.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.94 ZWL 25.02

171.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

153.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.37 ZWL 224

139.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.38 ZWL 36.81

102.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.98 ZWL 52.8

78.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.01 ZWL 27.10

17.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$59.1 ZWL 1,578

21.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$4.12 ZWL 110

-45.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.05 ZWL 54.8

-24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$5.06 ZWL 135

75.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.84 ZWL 49.04

-14.67%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.6K ZWL 576.3K

1.05%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$27.6K ZWL 736.2K

25.67%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$52.2 ZWL 1,394

79.09%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$21.85 ZWL 583

60.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$68.0 ZWL 1,817

-24.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$48.13 ZWL 1,286

48.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$22.78 ZWL 609

55.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$9.88 ZWL 264

-20.65%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$428 ZWL 11.4K

14.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,427 ZWL 225.1K

40.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$23.65 ZWL 632

126.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$21.26 ZWL 568

162.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$38.85 ZWL 1,038

103.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$39.60 ZWL 1,058

99.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$389 ZWL 10.4K

102.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$316 ZWL 8,435

146.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$838 ZWL 22.4K

360.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$755 ZWL 20.2K

86.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$913 ZWL 24.4K

663.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$388 ZWL 10.4K

209.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$421 ZWL 11.3K

108.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.69

-37.03%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Harare: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Harare

$316 30.9% 59.5% $464

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Harare

$215 21% 38.6% $135

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Harare

$150 14.6% 28.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Harare

$142 13.9% 21.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Harare

$56 5.4% 53.9% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Harare

$68 6.6% 22% $19

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Harare

$78 7.6% 10.8% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $389 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 108% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $45.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $215 per month, with Harare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇼 Harare

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

10:26 10:26 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,606,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.74 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, 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).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 26.71 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.74 USD). 1 EUR = 29.96 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Harare 13,160 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Harare

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 Harare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 108% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $389 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $428 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,025 in Harare versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare 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 Harare 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 Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.