Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tamale

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamale: $144 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

$1,837

/mo nomad

Tamale

🇬🇭 Ghana

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tamale

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $144 in Tamale, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Tamale $144

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $217 in Tamale, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Tamale $217

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $289 in Tamale, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Tamale $289

Nosara costs about 1172% more than Tamale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Tamale is 89% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.35 GHS 39.33

264.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.23 GHS 120

-26.30%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.88 GHS 10.32

95.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.41 GHS 4.82

229.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$0.89 GHS 10.41

264.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.32 GHS 15.50

239.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$3.04 GHS 35.71

-48.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.72 GHS 20.13

84.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.85 GHS 45.21

-37.14%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.25 GHS 14.69

123.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.82 GHS 9.67

45.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,668 GHS 101.7K

37.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

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 5, 2026

Last update for Tamale: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Tamale

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Tamale

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Tamale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Tamale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Tamale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tamale

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tamale

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇭 Tamale

🕒 Local time

21:41 9:41 PM

03:41 3:41 AM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

950,124

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 GHS = 8.53 USD

100 GHS = 7.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.73 GHS (100 GHS = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 13.16 GHS (100 GHS = 7.6 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Tamale 9,270 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tamale

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 Tamale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $144 in Tamale – roughly 1172% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $217 in Tamale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $144 in Tamale. That's a gap of about 1172%.

Groceries cost about 404% 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 Tamale, where all-in costs run around $144, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Tamale 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 $144 in Tamale 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 Tamale. 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.