Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Marondera

For one person, living is cheaper in Marondera: $761 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Marondera
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Marondera Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Marondera

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Marondera

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $761 in Marondera.

Nosara $1,839
Marondera $761

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,162 in Marondera.

Nosara $2,828
Marondera $1,162

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,563 in Marondera.

Nosara $3,818
Marondera $1,563

Living in Nosara is roughly 142% more expensive than in Marondera, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Marondera is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.11 ZWL 136

141.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$44.81 ZWL 1,192

36.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.82 ZWL 155

29.21%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

127.32%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.93 ZWL 24.86

87.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.45 ZWL 11.93

191.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.22 ZWL 32.55

168.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

118.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.02 ZWL 27.17

52.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.02 ZWL 27.26

196.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.02 ZWL 27.01

146.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.99 ZWL 52.9

79.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.19 ZWL 271

-27.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.92 ZWL 131

113.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.12 ZWL 136

172.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.97 ZWL 79.0

-20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.69 ZWL 45.09

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.96 ZWL 52.2

144.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.57 ZWL 41.66

2.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.68 ZWL 44.78

126.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.73 ZWL 46.13

113.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.28 ZWL 34.17

-11.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.96 ZWL 25.49

177.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.95 ZWL 51.9

165.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$3.97 ZWL 106

400.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.33 ZWL 35.34

118.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.88 ZWL 50.1

93.09%

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

$4.10 ZWL 109

-47.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

-19.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.13 ZWL 137

66.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.87 ZWL 49.68

-18.72%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.2K ZWL 589.9K

-2.53%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.8K ZWL 740.3K

24.07%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$50.6 ZWL 1,348

90.15%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$21.90 ZWL 583

63.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$68.2 ZWL 1,815

-21.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.10 ZWL 269

-21.88%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$435 ZWL 11.6K

13.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,450 ZWL 224.8K

40.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$23.33 ZWL 621

131.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$20.97 ZWL 558

164.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$38.56 ZWL 1,026

102.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$40.89 ZWL 1,088

94.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$252 ZWL 6,703

212.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$246 ZWL 6,544

223.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$399 ZWL 10.6K

886.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$355 ZWL 9,450

299.63%

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

13.69

-37.03%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Marondera: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Marondera

$246 32.3% 69% $548

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Marondera

$187 24.6% 46.9% $165

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Marondera

$97 12.8% 54% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Marondera

$141 18.5% 24.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Marondera

$56 7.3% 53.6% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Marondera

$20 * 2.7% 76.9% $67

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Marondera

$14 * 1.8% 84.1% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $252 in Marondera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $45.00 in Marondera for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $187 per month, with Marondera cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇼 Marondera

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

07:04 7:04 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

52,283

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, 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).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Marondera 13,210 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Marondera

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 Marondera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Marondera differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $761 including rent). Marondera 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 $1,141 in Marondera 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $252 in Marondera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $435 in Marondera. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marondera – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $761 in Marondera versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marondera but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Marondera 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 Marondera 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 Marondera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.