Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lilongwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Lilongwe: $587 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Lilongwe
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Lilongwe Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Lilongwe

🇲🇼 Malawi

$587

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lilongwe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $587 in Lilongwe.

Nosara $1,837
Lilongwe $587

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,146 in Lilongwe.

Nosara $2,775
Lilongwe $1,146

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,706 in Lilongwe.

Nosara $3,712
Lilongwe $1,706

Living in Nosara is roughly 213% more expensive than in Lilongwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Lilongwe is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.07 MWK 8,703

141.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$31.96 MWK 54.9K

88.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.40 MWK 17.9K

-27.50%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.08 MWK 5,294

39.94%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.41 MWK 2,426

21.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.37 MWK 641

264.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.02 MWK 3,470

60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.95 MWK 6,779

13.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.00 MWK 1,716

57.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.38 MWK 2,363

129.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.68 MWK 2,884

44.05%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.03 MWK 5,204

17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$15.87 MWK 27.2K

-53.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.27 MWK 5,608

218.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$4.08 MWK 7,005

234.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.53 MWK 4,337

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.21 MWK 2,072

33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.54 MWK 2,648

207.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.75 MWK 3,013

-5.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.90 MWK 3,254

95.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.42 MWK 2,436

151.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.57 MWK 978

347.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$1.62 MWK 2,781

205.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$14.51 MWK 24.9K

37.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.04 MWK 1,787

168.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.95 MWK 3,348

81.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.90 MWK 1,538

32.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$4.42 MWK 7,584

1530.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.52 MWK 4,322

-38.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$2.14 MWK 3,667

314.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.63 MWK 2,797

-3.68%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$46.17 MWK 79.3K

102.40%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$11.93 MWK 20.5K

194.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$63.2 MWK 108.5K

-18.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$37.64 MWK 64.6K

89.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$354 MWK 607.7K

38.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$2,315 MWK 4.0M

413.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$66.5 MWK 114.1K

1073.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$265 MWK 455.1K

1356.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$548 MWK 940.9K

156.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$277 MWK 475.8K

216.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lilongwe: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Lilongwe

$66 11.3% 91.5% $713

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Lilongwe

$207 * 35.3% 40.8% $142

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Lilongwe

$134 22.8% 36.1% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Lilongwe

$121 20.7% 32.6% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Lilongwe

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lilongwe

$38 * 6.4% 56.8% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lilongwe

$21 * 3.5% 76.3% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 216% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $32.00 in Lilongwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $207 per month, with Lilongwe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇼 Lilongwe

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

07:14 7:14 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

781,538 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Malawian Kwacha MWK MK

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD

10,000 MWK = 5.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MWK, 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Malawian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,717 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD). 1 EUR = 1,926 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.19 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Lilongwe 13,430 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lilongwe

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 Lilongwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lilongwe is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 213% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 216% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lilongwe – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $587 in Lilongwe versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lilongwe but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Lilongwe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lilongwe is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Lilongwe 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 Lilongwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 213% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.