Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springs and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Springs: $978 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Springs
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Springs Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Springs

🇿🇦 South Africa

$978

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Springs 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 Springs and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $978 per month in Springs vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Springs $978
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,592 per month in Springs vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Springs $1,592
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,207 per month in Springs vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Springs $2,207
Nosara $3,818

Springs is about 47% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Springs sits 28% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R 145

$12.35 ₡5,539

-28.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.24 R 597

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-40.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 R 86.1

$7.52 ₡3,373

-30.45%

Cappuccino

$2.31 R 38.01

$4.41 ₡1,978

-47.62%

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

$0.96 R 15.82

$1.74 ₡780

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R 11.41

$1.31 ₡587

-47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 R 30.23

$3.28 ₡1,471

-43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R 34.21

$4.47 ₡2,004

-53.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.61

$1.56 ₡701

-23.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 R 16.96

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.89

$2.51 ₡1,125

-27.89%

Eggs

$2.46 R 40.51

$3.57 ₡1,603

-31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 R 137

$7.43 ₡3,333

11.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 83.6

$10.52 ₡4,717

-51.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 R 118

$13.97 ₡6,265

-48.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 R 21.30

$2.35 ₡1,052

-45.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 R 18.09

$1.61 ₡720

-31.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.40

$4.80 ₡2,152

-64.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 R 19.95

$1.61 ₡724

-24.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 R 18.57

$3.80 ₡1,703

-70.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.49

$3.69 ₡1,657

-68.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 20.12

$1.13 ₡507

7.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.06

$2.66 ₡1,191

-70.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 51.6

$5.18 ₡2,321

-39.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.92 R 64.6

$19.88 ₡8,916

-80.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.71

$2.90 ₡1,300

-60.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 R 27.06

$3.63 ₡1,626

-54.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.17

$2.14 ₡958

-85.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R 12.38

$1.57 ₡703

-52.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.38 R 237

$8.52 ₡3,823

68.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 24.05

$1.52 ₡682

-3.95%

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

$35.7K R 588.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

65.34%

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

$33.1K R 545.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-4.09%

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

$152 R 2,507

$96.3 ₡43.2K

58.03%

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

$37.01 R 610

$35.89 ₡16.1K

3.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.97 R 593

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-32.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.74 R 655

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-44.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 R 122

$7.89 ₡3,539

-5.83%

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

$91.3 R 1,505

$494 ₡221.6K

-81.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,809 R 29.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-84.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 R 877

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-1.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.51 R 536

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-41.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 R 1,520

$77.9 ₡34.9K

18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 R 1,373

$79.6 ₡35.7K

4.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 R 4,825

$788 ₡353.4K

-62.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 R 4,420

$794 ₡356.2K

-66.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 R 12.1K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 R 11.7K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-50.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,483 R 24.4K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-78.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$688 R 11.3K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-43.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,143 R 18.8K

$864 ₡387.3K

32.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

8.62

24.71%

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

Last update for Springs: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springs

$268 27.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 196% $526

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springs

$225 23%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 17.5% $39

Groceries & Markets

Springs

$174 17.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 102% $178

Eating Out

Springs

$134 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 58.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Springs

$118 12%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2.1% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Springs

$55 5.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 60% $33

Getting Around

Springs

$4.1 * 0.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 2040% $83

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $293 in Springs versus $788 in Nosara. 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 32% higher in Springs, 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 $36.00 in Springs versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $352 – making Springs the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Springs

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

04:39 4:39 AM

8 h behind Springs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,996

4,912

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

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).

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).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Springs Nosara 12,890 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Springs
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

Springs vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $978 in Springs, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,466 per month in Springs and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Springs, 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 $36.00 in Springs and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 102% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Springs, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Springs 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 $978 in Springs 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 Springs. 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.