Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Port Elizabeth

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Elizabeth: $1,233 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,233

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Port Elizabeth

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,233 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Port Elizabeth $1,233

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,847 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Port Elizabeth $1,847

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,461 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Port Elizabeth $2,461

Nosara costs about 49% more than Port Elizabeth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Port Elizabeth is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$10.62 R 175

15.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$42.87 R 707

40.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.02 R 99.3

25.25%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.12 R 35.03

103.30%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.04 R 17.24

65.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.72 R 11.93

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.76 R 45.50

17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.06 R 50.5

46.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.14 R 18.74

37.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.04 R 17.10

204.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.44 R 23.78

68.06%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.81 R 46.33

27.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.58 R 142

-13.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.47 R 90.2

90.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$8.28 R 137

64.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.11 R 34.80

9.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.54 R 25.46

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.61 R 26.56

194.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.78 R 29.43

-6.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.73 R 28.56

115.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.42 R 23.46

151.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.29 R 21.27

-14.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.01 R 16.70

152.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.13 R 51.6

58.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$4.82 R 79.6

315.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.25 R 20.63

123.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.82 R 30.06

93.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.09 R 17.96

9.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$36.08 R 595

99.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.12 R 35.03

5.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.50 R 8.20

210.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$8.45 R 139

4.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.45 R 23.86

8.28%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$35.4K R 584.3K

-38.43%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$34.0K R 561.2K

1.83%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$123 R 2,024

-23.83%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$35.08 R 579

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$45.22 R 746

13.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$31.88 R 526

123.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$22.73 R 375

55.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.61 R 175

-26.11%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$176 R 2,902

178.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,192 R 102.2K

91.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$70.6 R 1,164

-24.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$38.27 R 631

45.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$110 R 1,807

-27.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$96.5 R 1,593

-18.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$612 R 10.1K

28.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$418 R 6,891

86.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$805 R 13.3K

379.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$689 R 11.4K

104.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$750 R 12.4K

830.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$531 R 8,754

126.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,612 R 26.6K

-45.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.94

-27.81%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Port Elizabeth

$418 34.4% 46.4% $362

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2% 43.7% $153

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Port Elizabeth

$155 12.8% 25.8% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Port Elizabeth

$203 16.7% 12.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7% 17.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Port Elizabeth

$53 4.4% 39% $34

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Port Elizabeth

$45 3.7% 48.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $612 in Port Elizabeth. 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 84% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $43.00 in Port Elizabeth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $197 – making Port Elizabeth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

15:51 3:51 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,050,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Port Elizabeth 12,580 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Port Elizabeth

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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,233 in Port Elizabeth – roughly 49% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,849 in Port Elizabeth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 100% less in Port Elizabeth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $176 in Port Elizabeth. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Elizabeth, where all-in costs run around $1,233, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Port Elizabeth 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 $1,233 in Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth. 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.