Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Johannesburg: $1,406 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Johannesburg

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Johannesburg $1,406

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,192 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Johannesburg $2,192

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,978 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Johannesburg $2,978

Nosara costs about 31% more than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Johannesburg sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Johannesburg by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$11.96 R 197

2.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$44.08 R 727

36.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.41 R 122

1.75%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.47 R 40.67

74.49%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.17 R 19.36

47.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.87 R 14.41

55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.26 R 37.31

43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.78 R 45.86

61.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.34 R 22.12

17.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.24 R 20.41

155.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.78 R 29.33

35.96%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.64 R 43.59

35.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.42 R 139

-11.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.36 R 88.4

94.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$8.43 R 139

62.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.05 R 33.76

13.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.80 R 29.65

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.84 R 30.32

157.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.03 R 33.47

-18.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.71 R 28.23

117.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.83 R 30.16

95.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.41 R 23.34

-21.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.32 R 21.82

93.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.38 R 55.8

46.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.99 R 98.8

234.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.84 R 30.31

51.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.44 R 40.28

44.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.05 R 33.85

-41.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$89.5 R 1,477

-19.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.82 R 13.58

173.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.93 R 15.41

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$14.67 R 242

-39.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.50 R 24.77

4.67%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$36.0K R 594.6K

-39.50%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$32.7K R 539.8K

5.87%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$227 R 3,751

-58.89%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$37.98 R 627

-7.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$36.49 R 602

41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$36.84 R 608

93.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$17.39 R 287

103.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.84 R 129

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$238 R 3,931

105.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$5,563 R 91.8K

113.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$58.6 R 967

-8.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$46.52 R 768

19.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$109 R 1,796

-27.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$105 R 1,738

-25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$496 R 8,177

58.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$422 R 6,958

84.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$979 R 16.1K

294.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$892 R 14.7K

57.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$964 R 15.9K

623.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$757 R 12.5K

58.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,755 R 29.0K

-50.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.91

-20.99%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Johannesburg

$422 29.9% 45.9% $358

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Johannesburg

$216 15.3% 38.3% $134

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Johannesburg

$173 12.2% 17.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Johannesburg

$302 21.4% 67.6% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Johannesburg

$144 10.2% 19.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Johannesburg

$53 3.7% 39.7% $35

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Johannesburg

$103 7.3% 18.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $496 in Johannesburg. 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 100% higher in Johannesburg, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $44.00 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $216 – making Johannesburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

05:37 5:37 AM

13:37 1:37 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

4,434,827

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Johannesburg 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Johannesburg

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 Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 31% more than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,109 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $44.00 in Johannesburg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $1,406 in Johannesburg. That's a gap of about 31%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Johannesburg, where all-in costs run around $1,406, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Johannesburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Johannesburg costs $1,406 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Johannesburg. 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.