Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Hermanus

For one person, living is cheaper in Hermanus: $1,118 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Hermanus
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Hermanus Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Hermanus

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Hermanus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,118 in Hermanus.

Nosara $1,839
Hermanus $1,118

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,727 in Hermanus.

Nosara $2,828
Hermanus $1,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,336 in Hermanus.

Nosara $3,818
Hermanus $2,336

Living in Nosara is roughly 65% more expensive than in Hermanus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Hermanus is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.13 R 216

-5.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$34.89 R 575

75.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.59 R 92.1

34.53%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.30 R 37.84

91.74%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.08 R 17.76

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.87 R 14.27

50.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.23 R 36.66

47.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.77 R 45.61

61.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.19 R 19.66

31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.12 R 18.47

169.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.77 R 29.18

41.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.44 R 40.15

46.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.34 R 137

-10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.98 R 82.0

111.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.04 R 116

98.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.76 R 29.07

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.68 R 27.62

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.79 R 29.42

168.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.71 R 28.10

-5.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.47 R 24.14

158.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.43 R 23.63

158.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.20 R 19.78

-5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.17 R 19.28

127.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.34 R 55.1

55.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.06 R 116

181.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.45 R 23.81

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.95 R 32.12

86.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.48 R 24.34

-24.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.62 R 10.25

245.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.88 R 14.46

78.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$11.54 R 190

-26.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.46 R 24.02

4.11%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.0K R 593.0K

-39.97%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.8K R 524.6K

8.41%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$145 R 2,395

-33.77%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$35.60 R 587

0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$39.60 R 652

35.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$21.12 R 348

238.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.86 R 228

151.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.19 R 102

27.46%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$245 R 4,032

101.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,463 R 90.0K

117.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$52.2 R 860

3.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.45 R 535

70.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$101 R 1,658

-22.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$86.9 R 1,431

-8.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$396 R 6,524

99.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$359 R 5,923

120.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$716 R 11.8K

449.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$717 R 11.8K

97.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$888 R 14.6K

678.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$659 R 10.9K

85.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.94

-21.21%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Hermanus

$359 32.2% 54.7% $435

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Hermanus

$197 17.6% 44.1% $155

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Hermanus

$174 15.6% 17.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Hermanus

$221 19.7% 18.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Hermanus

$122 11% 2% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Hermanus

$34 3% 61.7% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Hermanus

$11 * 1% 87.5% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $396 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $35.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $197 per month, with Hermanus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Hermanus

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

14:14 2:14 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

56,139

💱 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 Hermanus 11,990 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Hermanus

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 Hermanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hermanus is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,677 in Hermanus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $396 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,118 in Hermanus – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,118 in Hermanus versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hermanus but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Hermanus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hermanus 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 Hermanus 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 Hermanus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.