Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Windhoek

For one person, living is cheaper in Windhoek: $1,171 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Windhoek
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Windhoek Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Windhoek

🇳🇦 Namibia

$1,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Windhoek

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,171 in Windhoek, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Windhoek $1,171

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,979 in Windhoek, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Windhoek $1,979

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,787 in Windhoek, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Windhoek $2,787

Nosara costs about 57% more than Windhoek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Windhoek is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$11.46 NAD 189

6.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$63.0 NAD 1,040

-4.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.84 NAD 96.4

29.11%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.35 NAD 38.73

83.40%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.87 NAD 14.32

97.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.87 NAD 14.41

55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.98 NAD 32.67

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.12 NAD 34.95

111.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.53 NAD 25.27

2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.95 NAD 15.62

233.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.93 NAD 31.81

25.39%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.17 NAD 52.3

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.47 NAD 156

-21.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.63 NAD 109

57.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.60 NAD 125

79.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.15 NAD 35.47

7.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.89 NAD 31.21

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.88 NAD 31.07

152.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.98 NAD 32.61

-16.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.00 NAD 33.07

86.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.82 NAD 30.00

96.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.95 NAD 32.14

-43.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.07 NAD 17.64

138.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.32 NAD 54.8

49.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$6.78 NAD 112

195.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.41 NAD 23.19

97.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.42 NAD 23.47

148.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.74 NAD 12.25

60.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$48.69 NAD 803

48.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.82 NAD 13.50

173.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.87 NAD 14.34

78.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$15.56 NAD 257

-43.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.34 NAD 22.10

17.16%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$24.3K NAD 400.3K

-10.12%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$27.1K NAD 447.1K

27.82%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$139 NAD 2,287

-32.57%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$25.91 NAD 428

35.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$51.4 NAD 847

0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$37.58 NAD 620

89.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$10.56 NAD 174

235.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.32 NAD 87.7

47.37%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$209 NAD 3,445

134.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$5,376 NAD 88.7K

120.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$53.9 NAD 890

-0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$33.95 NAD 560

64.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$91.0 NAD 1,501

-12.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$95.4 NAD 1,574

-17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$492 NAD 8,120

59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$357 NAD 5,885

118.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,138 NAD 18.8K

239.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$868 NAD 14.3K

62.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,615 NAD 26.6K

331.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$601 NAD 9,922

99.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$989 NAD 16.3K

-11.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.42

-24.52%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Windhoek: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Windhoek

$357 30.2% 54.3% $423

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Windhoek

$223 18.8% 36.3% $127

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Windhoek

$159 13.4% 24.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Windhoek

$216 18.3% 19.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Windhoek

$123 10.4% 2.5% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Windhoek

$48 4.1% 44.6% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Windhoek

$57 4.8% 34.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $492 in Windhoek. 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 13% higher in Windhoek, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $63.0 in Windhoek. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $223 in Windhoek – so Windhoek wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇦 Windhoek

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

13:14 1:14 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

322,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Namibian Dollar NAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 NAD = 6.06 USD

100 NAD = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NAD, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 NAD (100 NAD = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 NAD (100 NAD = 5.41 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Windhoek 11,730 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Windhoek

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 Windhoek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,171 in Windhoek – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,756 in Windhoek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 48% less in Windhoek. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $209 in Windhoek. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Windhoek, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Windhoek 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 $1,171 in Windhoek 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 Windhoek. 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.