Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kitwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitwe: $183 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Kitwe
🇿🇲 Zambia
$183
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kitwe

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $183 in Kitwe, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Kitwe $183

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,221 in Kitwe, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Kitwe $1,221

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,260 in Kitwe, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Kitwe $2,260

Nosara costs about 903% more than Kitwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Kitwe is 86% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Kitwe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
-
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
-
-
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$2.49 ZMW 49.49
77.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$0.58 ZMW 11.62
200.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.77 ZMW 15.23
70.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$2.04 ZMW 40.63
60.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$2.53 ZMW 50.4
76.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Kitwe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
-
-
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.01 ZMW 20.14
199.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
-
-
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
-
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$2.54 ZMW 50.6
103.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.13 ZMW 22.44
156.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$0.99 ZMW 19.66
266.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Kitwe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.47 ZMW 29.18
3.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$29.9K ZMW 595.4K
15.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Kitwe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$100 ZMW 1,995
-46.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Kitwe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$14.76 ZMW 294
385.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Kitwe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$599 ZMW 11.9K
-17.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$11.8K ZMW 234.0K
0.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Kitwe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Kitwe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$1,218 ZMW 24.2K
-35.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$2,452 ZMW 48.8K
60.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$2,002 ZMW 39.8K
-29.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Kitwe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
36
-76.06%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kitwe: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Kitwe
–
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Kitwe
–
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Kitwe
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Kitwe
–
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Kitwe
–
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Kitwe
–
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Kitwe
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,218 in Kitwe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇿🇲 Kitwe
🕒 Local time
19:22 7:22 PM
03:22 3:22 AM
8 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
522,092
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Kitwe 12,820 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Kitwe

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 Kitwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Kitwe compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $183 in Kitwe – roughly 903% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Kitwe?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $275 in Kitwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Kitwe?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kitwe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Kitwe?
Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $599 in Kitwe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Nosara or Kitwe?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $183 in Kitwe. That's a gap of about 903%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kitwe, where all-in costs run around $183, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kitwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Kitwe?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $183 in Kitwe to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Kitwe safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Kitwe?
If budget matters most, go with Kitwe. 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.

Nosara vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?