Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Port Shepstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Shepstone: $987 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Port Shepstone
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Port Shepstone Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Port Shepstone

🇿🇦 South Africa

$987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $987 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Port Shepstone $987

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,540 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Port Shepstone $1,540

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,093 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Port Shepstone $2,093

Nosara costs about 86% more than Port Shepstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Port Shepstone is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.76 R 128

59.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$38.69 R 637

58.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.93 R 97.8

26.81%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.71 R 44.60

62.73%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.09 R 17.89

59.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.85 R 13.94

54.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.34 R 38.48

40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.52 R 41.57

77.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.93 R 15.28

67.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.70 R 11.57

331.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.17 R 19.29

114.53%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.45 R 23.93

146.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.07 R 117

5.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.68 R 60.6

185.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.07 R 117

97.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.17 R 19.33

100.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.75 R 12.43

114.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.63 R 10.36

661.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.47 R 24.20

9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.58 R 9.50

555.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.37 R 22.63

169.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.87 R 14.36

29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.57 R 9.41

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.69 R 60.8

40.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.80 R 79.1

314.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.45 R 23.94

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.84 R 30.31

97.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.46 R 24.12

-23.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.43 R 7.12

397.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.71 R 11.76

121.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.39 R 122

15.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.29 R 21.19

17.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.9K R 575.6K

-38.15%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.1K R 512.1K

11.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$121 R 1,994

-20.46%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.86 R 294

100.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$36.27 R 598

47.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$31.48 R 519

127.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$10.72 R 177

225.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.30 R 120

8.08%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$305 R 5,028

61.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,610 R 125.4K

55.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$53.7 R 885

0.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.34 R 500

82.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$96.7 R 1,594

-19.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$82.3 R 1,355

-3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$386 R 6,355

104.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$358 R 5,893

122.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$734 R 12.1K

436.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$715 R 11.8K

98.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$884 R 14.6K

682.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$666 R 11.0K

83.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,023 R 49.8K

-71.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.78

-26.83%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Port Shepstone

$358 36.2% 55% $437

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Port Shepstone

$143 14.5% 59.3% $209

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Port Shepstone

$137 13.9% 35.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Port Shepstone

$175 17.8% 5.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Port Shepstone

$118 12% 1.4% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Port Shepstone

$46 4.7% 47.3% $41

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Port Shepstone

$9.9 * 1% 88.7% $77

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 $386 in Port Shepstone. 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 250% higher in Port Shepstone, 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 $39.00 in Port Shepstone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $143 – making Port Shepstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Port Shepstone

🕒 Local time

01:57 1:57 AM

09:57 9:57 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

52,793

💱 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 Port Shepstone 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Port Shepstone

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 Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $987 in Port Shepstone – roughly 86% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,481 in Port Shepstone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Shepstone, 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 $39.00 in Port Shepstone. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 146% 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 Port Shepstone, where all-in costs run around $987, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Port Shepstone 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 $987 in Port Shepstone 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 Port Shepstone. 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.