Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ndola

For one person, living is cheaper in Ndola: $726 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Ndola
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Ndola Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ndola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ndola

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $726 in Ndola, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Ndola $726

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,738 in Ndola, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Ndola $1,738

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,750 in Ndola, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Ndola $2,750

Nosara costs about 153% more than Ndola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Ndola is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.52 ZMW 110

123.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$30.75 ZMW 612

98.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.94 ZMW 98.2

52.23%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.75 ZMW 54.7

60.36%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.52 ZMW 10.38

234.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.26 ZMW 5.20

403.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.28 ZMW 25.38

156.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.22 ZMW 44.18

101.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.60 ZMW 31.86

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.13 ZMW 22.44

167.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.01 ZMW 40.08

24.88%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.62 ZMW 32.27

120.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.37 ZMW 206

-28.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.48 ZMW 129

62.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.45 ZMW 128

116.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.55 ZMW 30.81

51.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.38 ZMW 47.28

-32.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.70 ZMW 73.6

29.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.50 ZMW 29.93

7.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.59 ZMW 51.6

46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.88 ZMW 37.49

96.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.12 ZMW 22.20

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.62 ZMW 12.35

329.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.08 ZMW 61.3

68.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.98 ZMW 198

99.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.42 ZMW 28.17

104.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.27 ZMW 45.20

59.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.73 ZMW 14.59

53.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.60 ZMW 51.6

-17.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.47 ZMW 29.15

6.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.13 ZMW 102

66.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.34 ZMW 26.57

13.43%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$7,515 ZMW 149.5K

187.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.1K ZMW 538.2K

27.56%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$81.5 ZMW 1,622

18.10%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.36 ZMW 206

246.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$55.4 ZMW 1,102

-3.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.10 ZMW 121

29.34%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$138 ZMW 2,743

258.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.4K ZMW 326.7K

-27.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$23.72 ZMW 472

127.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$15.32 ZMW 305

261.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$45.00 ZMW 895

73.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$72.1 ZMW 1,434

10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$176 ZMW 3,508

346.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$153 ZMW 3,050

417.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$384 ZMW 7,630

926.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,503 ZMW 29.9K

-5.58%

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

$602 ZMW 12.0K

43.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-70.28%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ndola: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ndola

$153 21.1% 80.7% $641

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ndola

$224 30.9% 36.4% $128

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ndola

$106 14.6% 50% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ndola

$147 20.3% 20.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ndola

$70 9.7% 41.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ndola

$12 * 1.7% 86% $75

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ndola

$13 * 1.8% 85.2% $74

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 $176 in Ndola. 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 44% 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 $31.00 in Ndola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $224 – making Ndola the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇲 Ndola

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

455,194

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, 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).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ndola 12,870 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ndola

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 Ndola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 153%, 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 $1,089 in Ndola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $31.00 in Ndola. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ndola, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ndola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ndola – 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 Ndola. 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.