Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rundu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Rundu: $347 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rundu
🇳🇦 Namibia
$347
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rundu and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rundu and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $347 per month in Rundu vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Rundu $347
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $629 per month in Rundu vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Rundu $629
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $910 per month in Rundu vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Rundu $910
  • Nosara $3,818

Rundu is about 81% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rundu sits 74% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rundu
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.92 NAD 246
$12.35 ₡5,539
20.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.80 NAD 491
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-51.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.10 NAD 100
$7.52 ₡3,373
-18.88%
Cappuccino
$2.16 NAD 35.52
$4.41 ₡1,978
-51.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 NAD 11.73
$1.74 ₡780
-59.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 NAD 10.35
$1.31 ₡587
-51.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.87 NAD 14.31
$3.28 ₡1,471
-73.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19 NAD 19.58
$4.47 ₡2,004
-73.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rundu
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
-
$1.56 ₡701
-
White Bread (500g)
$0.81 NAD 13.35
$3.02 ₡1,355
-73.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.43 NAD 73.0
$2.51 ₡1,125
76.49%
Eggs
$3.06 NAD 50.3
$3.57 ₡1,603
-14.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.12 NAD 67.8
$7.43 ₡3,333
-44.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.85 NAD 79.9
$10.52 ₡4,717
-53.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.72 NAD 77.7
$13.97 ₡6,265
-66.21%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 NAD 35.41
$2.35 ₡1,052
-8.51%
Banana (1kg)
$2.13 NAD 35.14
$1.61 ₡720
32.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.23 NAD 20.23
$4.80 ₡2,152
-74.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.87 NAD 14.35
$1.61 ₡724
-45.96%
Potato (1kg)
$5.28 NAD 87.0
$3.80 ₡1,703
38.95%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 NAD 15.19
$3.69 ₡1,657
-75.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 NAD 10.34
$1.13 ₡507
-44.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 NAD 16.68
$2.66 ₡1,191
-62.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.18 NAD 19.50
$5.18 ₡2,321
-77.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.10 NAD 67.5
$19.88 ₡8,916
-79.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 NAD 20.40
$2.90 ₡1,300
-57.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 NAD 24.48
$3.63 ₡1,626
-58.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Rundu
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡504
-
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
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rundu
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rundu
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.89 ₡3,539
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rundu
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$494 ₡221.6K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rundu
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rundu
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$788 ₡353.4K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$794 ₡356.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rundu
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
8.62
-

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

Last update for Rundu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rundu
–
Nosara
$794
Groceries & Markets
Rundu
–
Nosara
$352
Eating Out
Rundu
–
Nosara
$212
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rundu
–
Nosara
$186
Clothing & Footwear
Rundu
–
Nosara
$120
Sport & Entertainment
Rundu
–
Nosara
$87
Getting Around
Rundu
–
Nosara
$87

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Rundu versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $352 – making Rundu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇦 Rundu
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
15:46 3:46 PM
07:46 7:46 AM
8 h behind Rundu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
63,431
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to NAD – Namibian Dollar Converter

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 NAD (100 NAD = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.53 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rundu Nosara 11,970 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rundu
  • Nosara

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
Rundu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Rundu and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $347 in Rundu, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 430% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Rundu compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $520 per month in Rundu and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Rundu and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Rundu or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $347 in Rundu and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 430%.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rundu, where all-in costs run around $347, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Rundu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Rundu and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $347 in Rundu to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Rundu or Nosara 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 Rundu and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Rundu. 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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