Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Umhlanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Umhlanga: $1,370 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Umhlanga
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Umhlanga Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Umhlanga

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,370

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Umhlanga

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,370 in Umhlanga, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Umhlanga $1,370

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,018 in Umhlanga, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Umhlanga $2,018

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,666 in Umhlanga, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Umhlanga $2,666

Nosara costs about 34% more than Umhlanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Umhlanga sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Umhlanga by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.08 R 199

2.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$29.71 R 489

105.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.48 R 90.3

37.23%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.60 R 42.77

69.62%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.45 R 23.89

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.14 R 18.76

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.05 R 50.3

7.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.58 R 75.4

-2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.11 R 18.21

40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.95 R 15.72

217.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.85 R 30.48

35.68%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.26 R 37.31

57.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.78 R 178

-31.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.74 R 78.1

121.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.81 R 162

42.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.23 R 20.28

91.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.54 R 25.30

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.50 R 24.71

220.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.20 R 19.76

34.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.12 R 18.40

239.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.54 R 25.35

139.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.22 R 20.10

-7.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.89 R 14.61

198.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.24 R 53.3

59.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.12 R 101

224.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.31 R 38.06

25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.58 R 58.9

1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.58 R 9.56

93.10%

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

$1.52 R 25.11

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$39.3K R 646.9K

-44.97%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.9K R 591.1K

-3.79%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$133 R 2,194

-27.68%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$36.76 R 606

-2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$41.54 R 684

29.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.99 R 494

138.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.28 R 252

128.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.60 R 125

3.82%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$276 R 4,544

79.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,869 R 129.6K

50.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$64.4 R 1,060

-16.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.97 R 741

23.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$120 R 1,969

-34.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$91.5 R 1,507

-12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$603 R 9,930

30.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$586 R 9,647

35.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,205 R 19.9K

226.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,009 R 16.6K

40.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,300 R 37.9K

200.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,571 R 25.9K

-22.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,614 R 26.6K

-46.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.33

-35.33%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Umhlanga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Umhlanga

$586 42.7% 26.3% $209

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Umhlanga

$203 14.8% 42.4% $149

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Umhlanga

$179 13.1% 15.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Umhlanga

$211 15.4% 13.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Umhlanga

$144 10.5% 20% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Umhlanga

$45 3.3% 48.3% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Umhlanga

$2.3 * 0.2% 97.3% $85

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 $603 in Umhlanga. 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 87% higher in Umhlanga, 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 $30.00 in Umhlanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $203 – making Umhlanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Umhlanga

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

12:13 12:13 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 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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Between locations

Nosara Umhlanga 13,130 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Umhlanga

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 Umhlanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,370 in Umhlanga – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,056 in Umhlanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Umhlanga, 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 $30.00 in Umhlanga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% 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 Umhlanga, where all-in costs run around $1,370, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Umhlanga 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 $1,370 in Umhlanga 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 Umhlanga. 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.