Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lubumbashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Lubumbashi: $1,228 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Lubumbashi
Learn more

Lubumbashi Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lubumbashi

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,228 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Lubumbashi $1,228

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,727 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Lubumbashi $2,727

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,226 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Lubumbashi $4,226

Nosara costs about 50% more than Lubumbashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Lubumbashi is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.91 CDF 22.5K

24.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$99.1 CDF 224.6K

-38.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.92 CDF 22.5K

-24.19%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.03 CDF 9,131

9.43%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.08 CDF 2,458

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.99 CDF 4,508

64.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.54 CDF 5,756

75.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.96 CDF 4,446

-20.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.22 CDF 2,764

147.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.18 CDF 7,204

-21.07%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.10 CDF 4,761

70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.77 CDF 33.5K

-49.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.70 CDF 17.4K

36.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.52 CDF 35.2K

-9.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

-52.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.07 CDF 6,960

-47.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.88 CDF 11.1K

-1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.98 CDF 6,745

-45.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.56 CDF 5,810

48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.66 CDF 6,020

38.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.98 CDF 2,220

15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.22 CDF 2,774

118.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.07 CDF 9,227

27.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.73 CDF 28.8K

56.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.15 CDF 2,600

152.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.08 CDF 4,719

74.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.01 CDF 2,289

10.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.47 CDF 10.1K

-52.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$9.87 CDF 22.4K

-13.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.48 CDF 3,361

2.70%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$25.1K CDF 56.8M

-13.75%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.6K CDF 69.3M

12.89%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$99.9 CDF 226.3K

-3.59%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$20.13 CDF 45.6K

78.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$60.3 CDF 136.6K

-11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$73.6 CDF 166.8K

-2.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$132 CDF 297.9K

275.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,456 CDF 10.1M

166.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$22.35 CDF 50.6K

141.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$22.55 CDF 51.1K

145.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$59.1 CDF 133.9K

31.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$86.5 CDF 196.0K

-7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$862 CDF 2.0M

-8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$376 CDF 851.7K

111.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,522 CDF 5.7M

56.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,051 CDF 4.6M

-30.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,012 CDF 2.3M

583.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$499 CDF 1.1M

145.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,064 CDF 2.4M

-18.86%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Lubumbashi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lubumbashi

$376 30.6% 52.7% $418

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lubumbashi

$327 26.6% 7.2% $25

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lubumbashi

$177 * 14.4% 16.5% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lubumbashi

$180 14.7% 2.9% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lubumbashi

$86 7% 28.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lubumbashi

$74 * 6% 15.7% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lubumbashi

$8.5 * 0.7% 90.2% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $862 in Lubumbashi. 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 23% higher in Lubumbashi, 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 $99.0 in Lubumbashi. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $327 in Lubumbashi – so Lubumbashi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇩 Lubumbashi

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

16:02 4:02 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,139,064

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Lubumbashi 12,730 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lubumbashi

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 Lubumbashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,228 in Lubumbashi – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,842 in Lubumbashi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lubumbashi, 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 $1,839 in Nosara and $1,228 in Lubumbashi. That's a gap of about 50%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $132 in Lubumbashi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lubumbashi, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Lubumbashi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,228 in Lubumbashi to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Lubumbashi. 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.