Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kuruman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuruman: $1,125 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Kuruman
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Kuruman Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kuruman

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kuruman

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,125 in Kuruman.

Nosara $1,839
Kuruman $1,125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,692 in Kuruman.

Nosara $2,828
Kuruman $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,259 in Kuruman.

Nosara $3,818
Kuruman $2,259

Living in Nosara is roughly 63% more expensive than in Kuruman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Kuruman is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.59 R 158

28.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$40.39 R 665

51.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.55 R 91.5

35.50%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.79 R 29.41

146.37%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.20 R 19.75

45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.62 R 10.25

111.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.31 R 38.13

41.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.64 R 43.51

69.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.15 R 18.98

35.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.34 R 22.03

125.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.72 R 28.26

45.93%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.20 R 69.2

-15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.33 R 137

-10.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.07 R 83.6

107.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.41 R 122

88.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.78 R 29.28

32.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.68 R 27.67

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.82 R 30.04

163.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.67 R 27.54

-3.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.52 R 25.03

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.41 R 23.18

161.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.17 R 19.24

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.15 R 18.92

131.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.53 R 58.2

46.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.92 R 81.0

304.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.38 R 22.75

110.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.85 R 30.56

96.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.36 R 22.39

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.62 R 10.26

245.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.97 R 15.96

61.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.36 R 220

-36.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.53 R 25.15

-0.65%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.7K R 621.3K

-42.70%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.3K R 581.1K

-2.14%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$157 R 2,586

-38.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$34.82 R 574

3.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$36.83 R 607

45.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$31.37 R 517

128.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$12.24 R 202

185.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.20 R 135

-3.78%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$252 R 4,157

95.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,096 R 84.0K

132.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$52.8 R 870

2.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$29.03 R 478

90.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$101 R 1,656

-22.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$87.7 R 1,444

-9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$343 R 5,648

129.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$376 R 6,190

111.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$841 R 13.9K

368.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$636 R 10.5K

123.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$782 R 12.9K

783.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$664 R 10.9K

84.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,074 R 17.7K

-19.62%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Kuruman: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kuruman

$376 33.4% 52.7% $419

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kuruman

$202 18% 42.6% $150

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kuruman

$139 12.3% 34.4% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kuruman

$229 20.3% 23.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kuruman

$122 10.8% 1.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kuruman

$48 4.2% 45.3% $40

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kuruman

$11 * 1% 87.5% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $343 in Kuruman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuruman pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $40.00 in Kuruman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $202 per month, with Kuruman cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Kuruman

🕒 Local time

15:37 3:37 PM

23:37 11:37 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

9,093

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Kuruman 12,390 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kuruman

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 Kuruman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Kuruman differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $1,125 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Kuruman. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $343 in Kuruman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $252 in Kuruman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuruman – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,125 in Kuruman versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuruman but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kuruman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Kuruman are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kuruman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.