Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kimberley

For one person, living is cheaper in Kimberley: $1,138 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Kimberley
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Kimberley Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Kimberley

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kimberley

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,128 in Kimberley, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kimberley $1,128

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,905 in Kimberley, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kimberley $1,905

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,683 in Kimberley, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kimberley $2,683

Nosara costs about 63% more than Kimberley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Kimberley is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$12.12 R 200

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$36.35 R 599

68.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$6.22 R 103

24.76%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.99 R 49.32

48.49%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.29 R 21.17

38.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.30 R 21.49

-0.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.79 R 45.92

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.67 R 44.00

65.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.55 R 25.50

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.16 R 19.03

165.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.94 R 48.49

-13.95%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.91 R 48.01

18.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$6.52 R 107

12.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$5.89 R 97.0

73.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$8.33 R 137

69.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.35 R 38.64

-2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.44 R 40.25

-32.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.78 R 29.25

169.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.34 R 55.0

-50.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.52 R 24.99

153.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.41 R 23.18

165.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.39 R 22.85

-21.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.90 R 14.76

187.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.28 R 54.0

56.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$6.56 R 108

203.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.30 R 37.83

21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.87 R 47.29

22.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.53 R 25.15

-20.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$33.18 R 547

122.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.58 R 9.55

274.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.82 R 13.51

90.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$13.15 R 217

-34.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.45 R 23.81

6.90%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$37.5K R 617.3K

-7.80%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$38.3K R 630.5K

1.26%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$108 R 1,772

-11.84%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$35.15 R 579

2.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$42.40 R 699

25.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$22.40 R 369

229.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$10.56 R 174

237.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.16 R 118

10.47%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$242 R 3,981

102.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,107 R 100.6K

94.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$54.5 R 897

0.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$30.14 R 497

85.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$101 R 1,669

-20.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$90.8 R 1,495

-14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$263 R 4,329

204.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$338 R 5,574

133.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$645 R 10.6K

521.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$928 R 15.3K

51.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$806 R 13.3K

775.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$619 R 10.2K

99.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$949 R 15.6K

-6.58%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Kimberley: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Kimberley

$338 29.7% 57.1% $451

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Kimberley

$229 20.1% 34.6% $121

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Kimberley

$181 15.9% 14.8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Kimberley

$185 16.3% 0.6% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Kimberley

$124 10.9% 2.9% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Kimberley

$37 3.2% 59% $53

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Kimberley

$44 3.9% 50.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $266 in Kimberley. 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 8% higher in Kimberley, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $36.00 in Kimberley. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $228 – making Kimberley the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Kimberley

🕒 Local time

03:52 3:52 AM

11:52 11:52 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

225,160

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Kimberley 12,520 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kimberley

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 Kimberley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,692 in Kimberley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,128 in Kimberley. That's a gap of about 63%.

Public transport costs about 118% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kimberley it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kimberley – 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 Kimberley. 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.