Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pilikwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Pilikwe: $568 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Pilikwe
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Pilikwe Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Pilikwe

🇧🇼 Botswana

$568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Pilikwe

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $568 in Pilikwe, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Pilikwe $568

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $914 in Pilikwe, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Pilikwe $914

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,259 in Pilikwe, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Pilikwe $1,259

Nosara costs about 224% more than Pilikwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Pilikwe is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.72 P 143

15.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$28.91 P 386

111.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.66 P 75.7

32.86%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.27 P 30.27

94.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.76 P 10.21

128.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.41 P 5.42

219.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.97 P 26.34

66.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.52 P 33.65

77.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.47 P 19.65

6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.82 P 11.00

268.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.86 P 24.84

34.95%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.43 P 32.41

46.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.42 P 85.8

15.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.66 P 62.3

125.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.03 P 67.3

177.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.66 P 22.22

41.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.46 P 19.46

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.07 P 27.61

131.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.59 P 21.31

1.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.36 P 18.17

179.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.16 P 15.50

218.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.29 P 17.30

-12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.95 P 12.75

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.56 P 47.53

45.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.35 P 58.1

357.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.38 P 18.43

110.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.74 P 23.31

108.62%

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

$0.61 P 8.15

250.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.50 P 33.41

-37.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.86 P 38.28

197.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.34 P 17.93

13.43%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.1K P 268.7K

7.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.0K P 267.7K

72.30%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$60.2 P 804

60.06%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$18.66 P 249

92.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$44.56 P 595

20.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.29 P 84.1

25.44%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$127 P 1,703

287.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,466 P 33.0K

380.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$47.79 P 639

12.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.52 P 221

235.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.6 P 956

8.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$78.2 P 1,045

1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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

11.33

-23.92%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pilikwe: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Pilikwe

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Pilikwe

$173 30.5% 50.8% $179

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Pilikwe

$149 26.3% 29.4% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Pilikwe

$123 21.7% 33.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Pilikwe

$96 17% 19.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pilikwe

$13 * 2.2% 85.6% $75

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Pilikwe

$13 * 2.3% 85% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $29.00 in Pilikwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $173 – making Pilikwe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇼 Pilikwe

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,375

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 BWP = 7.48 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, 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).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 13.36 BWP (100 BWP = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Pilikwe 12,770 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Pilikwe

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 Pilikwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $568 in Pilikwe – roughly 224% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $852 in Pilikwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $29.00 in Pilikwe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 103% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pilikwe, where all-in costs run around $568, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pilikwe 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 $568 in Pilikwe to $1,839 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 Pilikwe. 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.