Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ilesha

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilesha: $477 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara, Costa Rica
Ilesha, Nigeria
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Ilesha
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$477
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ilesha

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $477 in Ilesha, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,846
  • Ilesha $477

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $804 in Ilesha, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,833
  • Ilesha $804

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $1,131 in Ilesha, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,820
  • Ilesha $1,131

Nosara costs about 287% more than Ilesha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Ilesha is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Ilesha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.36 ₡5,575
$3.63 ₦4,859
240.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.8 ₡27.4K
$49.95 ₦66.9K
21.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 ₡3,557
$7.33 ₦9,819
7.50%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₡1,986
$2.74 ₦3,679
60.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡776
$0.41 ₦548
319.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₡603
$0.22 ₦294
509.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.34 ₡1,505
$1.02 ₦1,364
227.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 ₡2,048
$2.05 ₦2,744
121.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Ilesha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ₡739
$3.09 ₦4,148
-46.93%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 ₡1,426
$1.48 ₦1,990
113.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 ₡1,080
$1.27 ₦1,697
88.19%
Eggs
$3.47 ₡1,564
$2.23 ₦2,982
55.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.13 ₡3,217
$3.55 ₦4,760
100.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.32 ₡4,655
$3.78 ₦5,071
173.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,302
$4.33 ₦5,807
222.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,031
$1.69 ₦2,261
35.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ₡731
$1.30 ₦1,746
24.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.81 ₡2,169
$1.08 ₦1,447
345.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 ₡758
$1.48 ₦1,988
13.51%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ₡1,765
$1.61 ₦2,154
142.86%
Onion (1kg)
$3.63 ₡1,640
$1.50 ₦2,016
142.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡509
$0.89 ₦1,190
26.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 ₡1,188
$0.36 ₦487
630.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.02 ₡2,267
$0.59 ₦787
750.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.71 ₡8,893
$2.49 ₦3,331
691.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 ₡1,314
$0.51 ₦679
470.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 ₡1,597
$0.50 ₦674
608.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Ilesha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 ₡545
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.15 ₡969
$0.68 ₦912
216.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡738
$0.90 ₦1,200
81.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.77 ₡3,958
$2.21 ₦2,958
296.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡700
$0.91 ₦1,217
70.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K ₡15.3M
$11.1K ₦14.9M
203.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K ₡17.4M
$29.3K ₦39.3M
31.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Ilesha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.2 ₡43.0K
$110 ₦147.1K
-13.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.29 ₡16.4K
$14.50 ₦19.4K
150.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 ₡23.5K
$32.73 ₦43.9K
58.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Ilesha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.6 ₡30.5K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.54 ₡3,404
$6.15 ₦8,241
22.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Ilesha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$496 ₡224.0K
$664 ₦889.8K
-25.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K ₡5.3M
$20.0K ₦26.8M
-41.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Ilesha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.1 ₡24.9K
$14.39 ₦19.3K
283.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 ₡25.3K
$17.99 ₦24.1K
211.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.8 ₡35.1K
$35.77 ₦47.9K
117.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.1 ₡35.7K
$48.26 ₦64.7K
63.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Ilesha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$817 ₡368.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$806 ₡363.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₡644.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,068 ₡3.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,197 ₡540.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Ilesha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$888 ₡400.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
18.39
-53.13%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ilesha: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$806
Ilesha
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$351
Ilesha
$155 56% $197
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Ilesha
$96 55.2% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Ilesha
$157 14.5% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Ilesha
$52 56.6% $68
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Ilesha
$5.2 * 94.2% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$83
Ilesha
$12 * 85.1% $70

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 in Nosara versus $50 in Ilesha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $155 – making Ilesha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇳🇬 Ilesha
🕒 Local time
08:41 8:41 AM
15:41 3:41 PM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
277,904
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Ilesha 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Ilesha

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 Ilesha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ilesha cheaper than Nosara?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 287%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $715 in Ilesha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Nosara or in Ilesha?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $50 in Ilesha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Nosara and in Ilesha?
Groceries cost about 127% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Ilesha?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilesha, where all-in costs run around $477, than in Nosara at $1,846. In Ilesha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Nosara or in Ilesha?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Ilesha to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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