Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Manzini

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $354 in Manzini, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Manzini $354

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $515 in Manzini, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Manzini $515

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $677 in Manzini, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Manzini $677

Nosara costs about 420% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Manzini is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.29 SZL 21.19

21.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.96 SZL 15.84

230.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.79 SZL 29.52

35.20%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.18 SZL 19.51

202.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.49 SZL 124

-0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$2.96 SZL 48.83

252.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$1.85 SZL 30.51

638.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.33 SZL 21.91

74.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.59 SZL 9.73

172.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$0.83 SZL 13.65

471.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.51 SZL 8.48

225.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.58 SZL 9.60

541.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.47 SZL 7.73

659.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.45 SZL 7.36

144.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.70 SZL 11.47

264.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.13 SZL 51.7

58.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$3.20 SZL 52.8

525.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.63 SZL 10.39

342.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$0.78 SZL 12.80

352.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.60 SZL 9.89

98.33%

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

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.32 SZL 21.79

18.94%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

27.42%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

120.18%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$72.4 SZL 1,193

29.09%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$12.23 SZL 202

187.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$29.97 SZL 494

71.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$3.68 SZL 60.6

113.04%

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

$170 SZL 2,801

362.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$105 SZL 1,734

641.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$367 SZL 6,054

951.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$274 SZL 4,517

413.46%

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

$404 SZL 6,657

116.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-13.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $170 in Manzini. 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 117% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

10:10 10:10 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

110,508

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, 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).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Manzini 13,180 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 420% more than Manzini, 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 $2,756 per month in Nosara and $530 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, 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 $1,837 in Nosara and $354 in Manzini. That's a gap of about 420%.

Groceries cost about 198% 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 Manzini, where all-in costs run around $354, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manzini costs $354 versus $1,837 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 Manzini. 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.