Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Plettenberg Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Plettenberg Bay: $1,124 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Plettenberg Bay
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Plettenberg Bay Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Plettenberg Bay

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,124

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Plettenberg Bay

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,124 in Plettenberg Bay, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Plettenberg Bay $1,124

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,821 in Plettenberg Bay, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Plettenberg Bay $1,821

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,518 in Plettenberg Bay, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Plettenberg Bay $2,518

Nosara costs about 64% more than Plettenberg Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Plettenberg Bay is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.75 R 177

14.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$42.02 R 692

45.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.05 R 99.7

24.30%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.07 R 34.05

113.04%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.02 R 16.74

70.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.78 R 12.79

67.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.67 R 43.92

22.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.06 R 33.91

116.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.16 R 19.14

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.05 R 17.25

187.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.51 R 24.91

66.23%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.80 R 46.07

27.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.51 R 140

-12.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.48 R 90.3

91.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.79 R 145

58.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.76 R 29.07

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.37 R 22.64

17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.32 R 21.67

263.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.48 R 24.37

8.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.07 R 17.69

255.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.97 R 16.06

280.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.85 R 13.95

32.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.04 R 17.08

155.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.76 R 45.53

87.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.75 R 78.2

318.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.28 R 21.12

126.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.82 R 30.00

99.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.53 R 25.17

-26.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.62 R 10.14

245.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.50 R 8.20

214.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$3.65 R 60.1

133.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.40 R 23.09

8.57%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.4K R 583.9K

-39.03%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.5K R 485.6K

17.12%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$121 R 1,990

-20.28%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$34.31 R 565

4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$43.85 R 722

22.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$31.18 R 514

129.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$1.23 R 20.20

2738.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.18 R 102

27.67%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$153 R 2,529

221.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,033 R 99.4K

96.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$44.01 R 725

22.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.46 R 617

47.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$112 R 1,848

-30.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$97.7 R 1,609

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$677 R 11.1K

16.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$398 R 6,563

99.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,345 R 22.2K

192.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$920 R 15.2K

54.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,145 R 35.3K

222.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,495 R 24.6K

-18.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,379 R 22.7K

-37.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.44

-17.43%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Plettenberg Bay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Plettenberg Bay

$398 35.4% 49.9% $396

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Plettenberg Bay

$189 16.8% 46.4% $163

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Plettenberg Bay

$154 13.7% 27.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Plettenberg Bay

$199 17.7% 7.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Plettenberg Bay

$131 11.7% 9.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Plettenberg Bay

$44 3.9% 50.2% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Plettenberg Bay

$9.2 * 0.8% 89.4% $78

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 $677 in Plettenberg Bay. 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 60% higher in Plettenberg Bay, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $42.00 in Plettenberg Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $189 – making Plettenberg Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Plettenberg Bay

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

11:29 11:29 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

38,126

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Plettenberg Bay 12,370 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Plettenberg Bay

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 Plettenberg Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,124 in Plettenberg Bay – roughly 64% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,685 in Plettenberg Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Plettenberg Bay, 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 $42.00 in Plettenberg Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Plettenberg Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,124, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Plettenberg Bay 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 $1,124 in Plettenberg Bay 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 Plettenberg Bay. 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.