Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Jimma

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,057 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Jimma

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,057 in Jimma, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Jimma $1,057

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,424 in Jimma, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Jimma $1,424

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,792 in Jimma, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Jimma $1,792

Nosara costs about 74% more than Jimma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Jimma is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$4.65 ETB 747

162.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.17 ETB 188

268.38%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.59 ETB 95.2

191.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.44 ETB 70.0

206.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.81 ETB 452

15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.43 ETB 230

213.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.15 ETB 185

36.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.36 ETB 58.1

780.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.12 ETB 180

116.07%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.02 ETB 646

-11.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$11.49 ETB 1,847

-9.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.42 ETB 1,835

19.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.30 ETB 370

0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.12 ETB 180

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.45 ETB 555

37.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.58 ETB 93.8

186.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.55 ETB 87.7

576.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$3.35 ETB 538

6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.58 ETB 93.7

339.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$6.63 ETB 1,065

201.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.16 ETB 187

140.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.45 ETB 234

143.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.22 ETB 35.27

440.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$13.38 ETB 2,150

438.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$1.72 ETB 276

415.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.74 ETB 279

-9.77%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$51.2K ETB 8.2M

-57.45%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$58.0K ETB 9.3M

-40.24%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$63.4 ETB 10.2K

47.30%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$36.28 ETB 5,829

-3.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$313 ETB 50.3K

-83.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$34.06 ETB 5,474

109.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$92.7 ETB 14.9K

-39.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$139 ETB 22.3K

-42.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$115 ETB 18.5K

-31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$208 ETB 33.4K

278.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$160 ETB 25.7K

387.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$415 ETB 66.7K

830.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$310 ETB 49.9K

353.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,229 ETB 358.2K

212.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,117 ETB 179.4K

7.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$227 ETB 36.5K

285.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-4.22%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jimma: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Jimma

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Jimma

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Jimma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Jimma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Jimma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Jimma

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Jimma

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $208 in Jimma. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 286% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇹 Jimma

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

13:26 1:26 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

207,573

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Jimma 13,350 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Jimma

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 Jimma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,585 in Jimma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jimma, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 439% less in Jimma. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jimma, where all-in costs run around $1,057, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Jimma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jimma – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Jimma. 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.