Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ouagadougou

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouagadougou: $1,164 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Ouagadougou
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Ouagadougou Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Ouagadougou

🇧🇫 Burkina Faso

$1,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ouagadougou

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,164 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Ouagadougou $1,164

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,917 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Ouagadougou $1,917

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,669 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Ouagadougou $2,669

Nosara costs about 58% more than Ouagadougou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Ouagadougou is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$7.38 F CFA 4,317

65.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$25.33 F CFA 14.8K

137.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.12 F CFA 4,167

5.90%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.97 F CFA 1,152

118.78%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.06 F CFA 623

62.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.10 F CFA 644

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.21 F CFA 708

167.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.61 F CFA 1,528

71.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.05 F CFA 1,198

-23.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.14 F CFA 665

178.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.84 F CFA 491

188.10%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.59 F CFA 1,517

37.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$17.20 F CFA 10.1K

-56.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$20.26 F CFA 11.9K

-48.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$14.76 F CFA 8,638

-7.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.58 F CFA 2,679

-49.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.34 F CFA 1,957

41.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.93 F CFA 2,301

-57.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.60 F CFA 939

132.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.67 F CFA 977

113.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.31 F CFA 765

-16.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.29 F CFA 756

97.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$1.37 F CFA 801

261.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.96 F CFA 3,487

235.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.39 F CFA 813

100.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.54 F CFA 1,485

38.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.15 F CFA 87.9

693.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.49 F CFA 284

357.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.85 F CFA 494

82.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$8.32 F CFA 4,870

6.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.41 F CFA 826

11.35%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$36.8K F CFA 21.5M

-40.80%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$30.9K F CFA 18.1M

12.13%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$181 F CFA 105.6K

-48.24%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$25.90 F CFA 15.2K

35.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$53.5 F CFA 31.3K

-3.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$59.8 F CFA 35.0K

19.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$8.33 F CFA 4,875

325.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.02 F CFA 4,109

11.68%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$34.66 F CFA 20.3K

1312.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$5,978 F CFA 3.5M

98.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$34.51 F CFA 20.2K

55.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$52.2 F CFA 30.5K

6.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$84.5 F CFA 49.4K

-6.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$101 F CFA 59.1K

-21.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$338 F CFA 197.9K

132.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$227 F CFA 133.0K

242.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,317 F CFA 770.5K

193.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$728 F CFA 425.7K

93.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$842 F CFA 492.8K

727.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$252 F CFA 147.2K

377.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$588 F CFA 344.3K

48.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-28.17%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ouagadougou: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Ouagadougou

$227 19.5% 70.8% $552

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Ouagadougou

$352 * 30.2% 0.6% $2

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Ouagadougou

$124 10.7% 40.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Ouagadougou

$260 22.3% 44.3% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Ouagadougou

$123 10.5% 1.8% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ouagadougou

$74 6.3% 15.2% $13

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ouagadougou

$5.3 * 0.5% 93.9% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $338 in Ouagadougou. 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 49% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $25.00 in Ouagadougou. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $352 in Ouagadougou – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇫 Ouagadougou

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

05:45 5:45 AM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,915,102 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Ouagadougou 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ouagadougou

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 Ouagadougou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,164 in Ouagadougou – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,747 in Ouagadougou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ouagadougou, 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 $60.0 in Nosara and $25.00 in Ouagadougou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ouagadougou, where all-in costs run around $1,164, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Ouagadougou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,164 in Ouagadougou to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Ouagadougou. 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.