Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Somerset West

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset West: $1,162 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Somerset West

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,162 in Somerset West, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Somerset West $1,162

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,890 in Somerset West, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Somerset West $1,890

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,618 in Somerset West, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Somerset West $2,618

Nosara costs about 58% more than Somerset West, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Somerset West is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.86 R 195

4.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$45.93 R 757

33.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.42 R 89.3

38.75%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.17 R 35.82

103.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.03 R 16.99

68.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.91 R 15.02

43.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.52 R 41.47

30.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.32 R 54.6

34.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.94 R 15.56

65.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.00 R 16.43

202.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.06 R 33.91

21.84%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.27 R 37.42

57.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.65 R 142

-14.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.25 R 86.6

100.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.52 R 157

46.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.84 R 30.28

27.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.90 R 31.24

-15.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.69 R 27.83

184.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.74 R 28.62

-7.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.54 R 25.30

146.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.54 R 25.30

139.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.29 R 21.21

-12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.09 R 17.92

144.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.28 R 54.0

57.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.98 R 98.5

232.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.34 R 22.13

116.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.76 R 28.95

106.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.12 R 18.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$59.4 R 979

22.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.58 R 9.56

268.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.48 R 24.35

6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.08 R 83.7

67.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.43 R 23.49

6.29%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.8K R 474.1K

-24.92%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.0K R 494.4K

15.02%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$85.2 R 1,404

13.03%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$28.77 R 474

24.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$40.92 R 674

30.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$45.25 R 745

58.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$10.76 R 177

224.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.19 R 118

9.74%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$261 R 4,308

88.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,633 R 59.9K

226.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$30.84 R 508

74.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$31.76 R 523

74.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$70.5 R 1,161

10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$56.5 R 930

41.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$637 R 10.5K

23.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$425 R 6,997

87.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,358 R 22.4K

189.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$935 R 15.4K

51.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,227 R 20.2K

463.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$907 R 14.9K

35.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,427 R 23.5K

-39.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.12

-14.82%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Somerset West

$425 36.5% 46.5% $370

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Somerset West

$202 17.4% 42.8% $151

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Somerset West

$164 14.1% 22.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Somerset West

$155 13.3% 16.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Somerset West

$85 7.3% 29% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Somerset West

$60 5.1% 31.8% $28

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Somerset West

$72 6.2% 17.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $637 in Somerset West. 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 65% higher in Somerset West, 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 $46.00 in Somerset West. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $202 – making Somerset West the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

13:03 1:03 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

55,166

💱 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 Somerset West 11,960 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Somerset West

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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,162 in Somerset West – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,743 in Somerset West. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 22% less in Somerset West. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $261 in Somerset West. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Somerset West, where all-in costs run around $1,162, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Somerset West 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 $1,162 in Somerset West 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 Somerset West. 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.