Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lugazi

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugazi: $415 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Lugazi
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Lugazi Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lugazi

🇺🇬 Uganda

$415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lugazi

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $415 in Lugazi, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Lugazi $415

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $654 in Lugazi, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Lugazi $654

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $893 in Lugazi, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Lugazi $893

Nosara costs about 343% more than Lugazi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Lugazi is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.53 UGX 10.4K

388.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.46 UGX 100.6K

150.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.48 UGX 30.8K

0.53%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.57 UGX 10.6K

71.60%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.36 UGX 1,478

383.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.26 UGX 1,067

403.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.23 UGX 5,054

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.83 UGX 7,531

144.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.76 UGX 3,119

105.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.90 UGX 3,717

235.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.30 UGX 5,347

93.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.59 UGX 6,524

124.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.29 UGX 17.7K

73.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.53 UGX 18.6K

132.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$4.95 UGX 20.3K

182.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.17 UGX 8,906

8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.24 UGX 5,120

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.29 UGX 5,308

272.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.23 UGX 5,059

30.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.26 UGX 5,190

201.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.20 UGX 4,950

207.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.80 UGX 3,307

41.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 UGX 2,002

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.55 UGX 10.5K

103.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.44 UGX 30.6K

167.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.07 UGX 4,410

171.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.90 UGX 7,813

91.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.51 UGX 2,108

319.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.32 UGX 1,320

390.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$3.14 UGX 12.9K

171.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.45 UGX 5,979

4.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$7,568 UGX 31.1M

185.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$7,481 UGX 30.8M

361.38%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$71.7 UGX 295.0K

34.26%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.98 UGX 49.3K

199.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$34.79 UGX 143.1K

54.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.56 UGX 31.1K

4.37%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$257 UGX 1.1M

92.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,195 UGX 33.7M

44.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$14.18 UGX 58.3K

280.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$13.21 UGX 54.3K

319.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$32.12 UGX 132.1K

142.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$43.54 UGX 179.1K

82.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

20.75

-58.46%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lugazi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lugazi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lugazi

$147 35.5% 58.1% $205

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lugazi

$86 20.7% 59.5% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lugazi

$118 28.5% 36.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lugazi

$46 11.2% 61.4% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lugazi

$15 * 3.6% 82.7% $72

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lugazi

$2.1 * 0.5% 97.6% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $24.00 in Lugazi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $147 – making Lugazi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇬 Lugazi

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

05:59 5:59 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

128,400

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, 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).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Lugazi 13,130 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lugazi

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 Lugazi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 343% more than Lugazi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $623 in Lugazi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $24.00 in Lugazi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lugazi, where all-in costs run around $415, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Lugazi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lugazi costs $415 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Lugazi. 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.