Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
Learn more

Lome Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lome

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $557 in Lome.

Nosara $1,837
Lome $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $980 in Lome.

Nosara $2,775
Lome $980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,404 in Lome.

Nosara $3,712
Lome $1,404

Living in Nosara is roughly 230% more expensive than in Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Lome is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

315.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

96.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

33.69%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

-23.72%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

-59.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.70 F CFA 407

92.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$0.96 F CFA 560

237.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

157.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

-29.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.36 F CFA 795

133.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.49 F CFA 872

62.42%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

139.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

-20.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.67 F CFA 976

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

-34.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

112.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.18 F CFA 692

202.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.83 F CFA 487

207.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

312.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.09 F CFA 640

155.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.40 F CFA 820

152.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.22 F CFA 714

27.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

108.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.23 F CFA 720

27.64%

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

$146 F CFA 85.6K

-36.10%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

64.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

22.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

18.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

304.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

85.78%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

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

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

222.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$294 F CFA 172.2K

378.21%

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

$295 F CFA 172.7K

196.93%

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 Lome: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Lome

$140 * 25% 60% $210

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Lome

$136 24.3% 35% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Lome

$210 37.4% 16.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lome

$69 12.3% 20.9% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1% 93% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 197% 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 $31.00 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $140 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Lome 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lome

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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 230% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 197% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $557 in Lome – a 230% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 150% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $557 in Lome versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Lome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $557 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Lome 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 Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.