Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mutare

For one person, living is cheaper in Mutare: $789 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Mutare
Learn more

Mutare Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Mutare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mutare

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $789 in Mutare, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Mutare $789

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,220 in Mutare, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Mutare $1,220

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,651 in Mutare, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Mutare $1,651

Nosara costs about 133% more than Mutare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Mutare is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.15 ZWL 270

21.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$45.07 ZWL 1,199

35.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.42 ZWL 118

70.14%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.28 ZWL 34.07

244.53%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.73 ZWL 19.54

138.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.46 ZWL 12.11

184.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.22 ZWL 32.33

168.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.78 ZWL 47.47

151.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.22 ZWL 32.42

27.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.98 ZWL 26.14

208.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.33 ZWL 35.28

88.72%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.87 ZWL 49.72

90.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$2.92 ZWL 77.8

154.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.04 ZWL 107

160.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.01 ZWL 133

178.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.04 ZWL 54.3

15.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.70 ZWL 45.15

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

134.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.98 ZWL 26.18

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.75 ZWL 46.52

117.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.99 ZWL 26.33

272.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.48 ZWL 12.83

135.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.99 ZWL 26.41

168.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

338.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.09 ZWL 162

226.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

145.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.73 ZWL 45.96

109.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.77 ZWL 20.48

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$26.46 ZWL 704

174.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.02 ZWL 80.3

-29.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.98 ZWL 52.6

-20.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.94 ZWL 131

72.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.86 ZWL 49.42

-18.28%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.6K ZWL 575.1K

-0.02%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.6K ZWL 629.3K

45.97%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$50.7 ZWL 1,349

89.88%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.72 ZWL 392

143.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$59.4 ZWL 1,580

-9.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.95 ZWL 1,063

79.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.05 ZWL 134

591.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.89 ZWL 263

-20.22%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$150 ZWL 4,002

228.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,553 ZWL 227.6K

38.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$10.06 ZWL 268

436.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$9.48 ZWL 252

484.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$24.80 ZWL 660

214.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$20.27 ZWL 539

292.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$356 ZWL 9,462

121.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$253 ZWL 6,742

213.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$750 ZWL 19.9K

425.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$395 ZWL 10.5K

258.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$246 ZWL 6,539

2712.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$247 ZWL 6,566

249.96%

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 Mutare: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Mutare

$253 32.1% 68.1% $541

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Mutare

$155 19.6% 56% $197

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Mutare

$124 15.8% 41.4% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Mutare

$125 15.8% 32.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mutare

$29 3.7% 75.8% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mutare

$60 7.6% 31.6% $28

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Mutare

$42 5.4% 51.3% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $356 in Mutare. 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 250% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $45.00 in Mutare. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $155 – making Mutare the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇼 Mutare

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

03:05 3:05 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

188,243

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mutare 13,330 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mutare

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 Mutare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 133%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,183 in Mutare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mutare, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 175% less in Mutare. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $150 in Mutare. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mutare, where all-in costs run around $789, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Mutare it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mutare – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Mutare. 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.