Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Knysna

For one person, living is cheaper in Knysna: $1,198 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Knysna
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Knysna Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Knysna

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Knysna

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,198 in Knysna, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Knysna $1,198

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,788 in Knysna, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Knysna $1,788

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,379 in Knysna, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Knysna $2,379

Nosara costs about 53% more than Knysna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Knysna is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$9.64 R 159

28.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$39.13 R 645

56.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$5.73 R 94.5

35.43%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.11 R 34.70

110.43%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.07 R 17.57

67.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.72 R 11.84

79.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.34 R 38.49

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.78 R 45.75

59.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.19 R 19.58

30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.07 R 17.57

187.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.47 R 24.27

72.11%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.81 R 46.24

22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$8.66 R 143

-15.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.90 R 80.8

108.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$8.09 R 133

74.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.59 R 26.22

44.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.54 R 25.32

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.60 R 26.39

199.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.55 R 25.53

5.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.60 R 26.33

140.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.39 R 22.83

169.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.28 R 21.02

-14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.03 R 17.00

151.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.24 R 53.5

58.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$4.97 R 81.9

300.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.21 R 19.91

131.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.54 R 25.44

128.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.49 R 24.49

-18.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.62 R 10.21

250.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.56 R 9.30

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$8.34 R 137

3.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.41 R 23.22

9.93%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.6K R 388.8K

46.40%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$27.7K R 455.9K

40.02%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$113 R 1,855

-15.78%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$33.83 R 557

6.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$44.58 R 735

19.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$48.38 R 797

52.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$9.84 R 162

262.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$8.76 R 144

-9.70%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$182 R 3,001

169.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,898 R 97.2K

101.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$42.18 R 695

29.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$33.77 R 556

65.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$107 R 1,770

-25.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$77.4 R 1,275

0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$514 R 8,462

55.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$480 R 7,912

64.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$837 R 13.8K

378.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$799 R 13.2K

76.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,001 R 16.5K

605.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,056 R 17.4K

17.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$942 R 15.5K

-5.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.83

-27.13%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Knysna: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Knysna

$480 40.1% 39.2% $309

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Knysna

$190 15.9% 45.7% $160

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Knysna

$144 12% 32.3% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Knysna

$191 16% 3.8% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Knysna

$117 9.8% 3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Knysna

$66 5.5% 26.4% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Knysna

$9.4 * 0.8% 89.4% $79

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $514 in Knysna. 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 6% higher in Knysna, 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 $39.00 in Knysna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $190 – making Knysna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Knysna

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

16:42 4:42 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

51,078

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Knysna 12,340 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Knysna

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 Knysna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,797 in Knysna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Knysna, 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 $1,835 in Nosara and $1,198 in Knysna. That's a gap of about 53%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $182 in Knysna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Knysna, where all-in costs run around $1,198, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Knysna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Knysna – 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 Knysna. 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.