Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Yaounde

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaounde: $789 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Yaounde
🇨🇲 Cameroon
$789
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Yaounde

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $789 in Yaounde, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,837
  • Yaounde $789

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,225 in Yaounde, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,775
  • Yaounde $1,225

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,661 in Yaounde, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,712
  • Yaounde $1,661

Nosara costs about 133% more than Yaounde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Yaounde is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Yaounde
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 ₡5,509
$3.51 FCFA 2,051
248.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.2 ₡27.1K
$50.5 FCFA 29.5K
19.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₡3,399
$5.22 FCFA 3,053
44.44%
Cappuccino
$4.31 ₡1,941
$1.96 FCFA 1,145
119.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡773
$1.53 FCFA 898
12.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₡608
$0.54 FCFA 318
150.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,459
$1.27 FCFA 744
155.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48 ₡2,018
$1.73 FCFA 1,014
158.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Yaounde
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡707
$3.66 FCFA 2,143
-57.10%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 ₡1,429
$1.09 FCFA 638
190.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 ₡1,091
$1.32 FCFA 772
83.33%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,609
$2.10 FCFA 1,228
70.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,349
$13.54 FCFA 7,923
-45.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 ₡4,697
$6.16 FCFA 3,605
69.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.66 ₡6,156
$6.70 FCFA 3,919
103.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ₡1,044
$5.19 FCFA 3,037
-55.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡728
$2.01 FCFA 1,178
-19.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 ₡2,138
$2.02 FCFA 1,180
134.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 ₡747
$1.37 FCFA 803
21.17%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 ₡1,679
$1.64 FCFA 960
126.83%
Onion (1kg)
$3.57 ₡1,611
$1.45 FCFA 847
146.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₡497
$1.09 FCFA 635
0.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,149
$0.66 FCFA 388
286.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.95 ₡2,232
$1.68 FCFA 981
194.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.01 ₡9,020
$8.32 FCFA 4,869
140.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,256
$1.37 FCFA 803
103.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ₡1,589
$1.96 FCFA 1,146
80.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Yaounde
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₡537
$0.58 FCFA 339
105.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.1 ₡32.5K
$17.43 FCFA 10.2K
313.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ₡1,011
$0.59 FCFA 343
279.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 ₡701
$0.45 FCFA 262
244.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₡3,993
$6.06 FCFA 3,546
46.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡708
$1.41 FCFA 826
11.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₡9.8M
$32.4K FCFA 19.0M
-32.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K ₡15.6M
$21.3K FCFA 12.5M
62.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Yaounde
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.5 ₡42.1K
$80.3 FCFA 47.0K
16.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.11 ₡15.8K
$17.09 FCFA 9,997
105.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 ₡23.2K
$51.9 FCFA 30.4K
-0.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Yaounde
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.4 ₡32.2K
$23.33 FCFA 13.6K
206.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 ₡16.0K
$7.27 FCFA 4,251
387.48%
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 ₡3,535
$8.59 FCFA 5,025
-8.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Yaounde
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡220.7K
$610 FCFA 357.1K
-19.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.4M
$2,355 FCFA 1.4M
404.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Yaounde
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ₡24.1K
$16.95 FCFA 9,915
215.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 ₡25.1K
$27.00 FCFA 15.8K
106.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 ₡35.7K
$25.98 FCFA 15.2K
205.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 ₡35.6K
$55.7 FCFA 32.6K
41.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Yaounde
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$786 ₡354.3K
$140 FCFA 81.9K
461.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 ₡351.6K
$185 FCFA 108.2K
321.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,860 ₡1.7M
$409 FCFA 239.5K
842.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 ₡634.4K
$211 FCFA 123.2K
568.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,972 ₡3.1M
$847 FCFA 495.6K
723.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,201 ₡541.3K
$593 FCFA 347.2K
102.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Yaounde
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 ₡395.0K
$190 FCFA 111.1K
361.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
13
-33.69%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$780
Yaounde
$185 76.3% $595
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Yaounde
$253 27.5% $96
Eating Out
Nosara
$209
Yaounde
$85 59.3% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$180
Yaounde
$149 17.1% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Yaounde
$57 53% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Yaounde
$41 53.5% $47
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Yaounde
$23 74% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $140 in Yaounde. 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 361% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $50.0 in Yaounde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $253 – making Yaounde the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇨🇲 Yaounde
🕒 Local time
05:14 5:14 AM
12:14 12:14 PM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
1,817,524 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Yaounde 10,720 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Yaounde

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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Yaounde compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $789 in Yaounde – roughly 133% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Yaounde?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,183 in Yaounde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Yaounde?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Yaounde, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Yaounde?
Public transport costs about 313% less in Yaounde. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Yaounde?
Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $610 in Yaounde. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yaounde, where all-in costs run around $789, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Yaounde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Yaounde?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $789 in Yaounde to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Yaounde safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Yaounde?
If budget matters most, go with Yaounde. 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.

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