Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Limbe

For one person, living is cheaper in Limbe: $880 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Limbe
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Limbe Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Limbe

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Limbe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $880 in Limbe.

Nosara $1,839
Limbe $880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,521 in Limbe.

Nosara $2,828
Limbe $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,162 in Limbe.

Nosara $3,818
Limbe $2,162

Living in Nosara is roughly 109% more expensive than in Limbe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Limbe is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$4.18 FCFA 2,445

195.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$119 FCFA 69.9K

-48.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$6.97 FCFA 4,083

7.89%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$1.07 FCFA 628

312.15%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.57 FCFA 922

10.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.79 FCFA 460

65.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$1.21 FCFA 709

171.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$2.61 FCFA 1,525

71.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$2.54 FCFA 1,486

-38.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$0.40 FCFA 235

655.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.61 FCFA 942

55.90%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$1.92 FCFA 1,124

85.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$9.47 FCFA 5,547

-21.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$4.62 FCFA 2,704

127.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$6.24 FCFA 3,652

123.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$1.83 FCFA 1,070

28.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.11 FCFA 649

45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$1.90 FCFA 1,111

152.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.36 FCFA 798

18.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.84 FCFA 1,077

106.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$2.08 FCFA 1,220

77.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.75 FCFA 441

50.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.66 FCFA 388

303.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$2.50 FCFA 1,462

107.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$8.48 FCFA 4,966

134.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.47 FCFA 859

97.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$1.78 FCFA 1,040

103.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$0.86 FCFA 505

30.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$25.24 FCFA 14.8K

187.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$0.53 FCFA 313

303.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$0.20 FCFA 117

685.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$1.66 FCFA 973

413.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.15 FCFA 671

32.17%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.4K FCFA 17.8M

-28.82%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$15.4K FCFA 9.0M

124.56%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$85.8 FCFA 50.3K

12.20%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$25.49 FCFA 14.9K

40.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$81.9 FCFA 48.0K

-34.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$42.70 FCFA 25.0K

67.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$4.30 FCFA 2,519

83.49%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$344 FCFA 201.6K

43.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,670 FCFA 978.1K

609.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$78.6 FCFA 46.0K

-31.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$67.5 FCFA 39.5K

-17.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$136 FCFA 79.7K

-42.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$149 FCFA 87.3K

-46.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$131 FCFA 76.5K

507.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$136 FCFA 79.7K

942.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

19.04

-54.73%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Limbe: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Limbe

$131 14.9% 83.5% $664

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Limbe

$192 21.9% 45.4% $160

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Limbe

$88 10% 58.5% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Limbe

$193 22% 4% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Limbe

$194 22.1% 61.6% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Limbe

$51 5.8% 41.3% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Limbe

$30 3.4% 65.3% $57

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $119 in Limbe. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $192, with Limbe cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇲 Limbe

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

18:50 6:50 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

118,210

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Limbe 10,460 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Limbe

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 Limbe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Limbe differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $880 including rent). Limbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,320 in Limbe to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Limbe – a meal for two runs $119 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $880 in Limbe versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Limbe but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Limbe 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 Limbe 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 Limbe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.