Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Serowe

For one person, living is cheaper in Serowe: $80.7 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Serowe

🇧🇼 Botswana

$80.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Serowe

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $80.7 in Serowe, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Serowe $80.7

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $141 in Serowe, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Serowe $141

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $201 in Serowe, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Serowe $201

Nosara costs about 2179% more than Serowe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Serowe is 94% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

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

$1.74 ₡780

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.37 P 18.30

13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.10 P 14.71

174.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.71 P 22.83

108.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$4.01 P 53.6

248.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.34 P 17.87

75.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.08 P 14.39

49.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.64 P 21.94

-1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.43 P 19.13

165.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.40 P 18.74

163.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.72 P 9.66

269.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$110 P 1,474

348.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,776 P 23.7K

567.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

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

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Serowe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Serowe

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Serowe

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Serowe

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Serowe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Serowe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Serowe

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Serowe

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇼 Serowe

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

11:06 11:06 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

47,447

💱 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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Between locations

Nosara Serowe 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Serowe

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 Serowe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $80.7 in Serowe – roughly 2179% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $121 in Serowe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $110 in Serowe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $80.7 in Serowe. That's a gap of about 2179%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Serowe, where all-in costs run around $80.7, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Serowe 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 $80.7 in Serowe 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 Serowe. 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.