Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Upington and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Upington: $1,133 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Upington
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Upington Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Upington

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,133

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,133 per month in Upington vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Upington $1,133
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,760 per month in Upington vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Upington $1,760
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,388 per month in Upington vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Upington $2,388
Nosara $3,814

Upington is about 38% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Upington sits 16% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.40 R 204

$12.34 ₡5,535

0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 R 612

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-39.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 R 93.7

$7.76 ₡3,481

-26.68%

Cappuccino

$1.74 R 28.68

$4.44 ₡1,992

-60.81%

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

$1.04 R 17.17

$1.79 ₡803

-41.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.58

$1.29 ₡580

-41.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 R 28.48

$3.24 ₡1,451

-46.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 46.42

$4.43 ₡1,985

-36.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 R 14.65

$1.55 ₡696

-42.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.66

$3.08 ₡1,380

-59.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.26

$2.53 ₡1,133

-34.78%

Eggs

$2.64 R 43.52

$3.45 ₡1,546

-23.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 R 139

$7.32 ₡3,284

15.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 84.3

$10.24 ₡4,594

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.27 R 120

$14.10 ₡6,326

-48.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 R 33.55

$2.29 ₡1,027

-10.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.20

$1.64 ₡737

4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.35

$4.79 ₡2,149

-62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.29

$1.64 ₡735

12.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.81

$3.85 ₡1,727

-60.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.95

$3.75 ₡1,681

-57.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R 20.96

$1.09 ₡488

16.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 R 16.78

$2.59 ₡1,160

-60.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 R 45.51

$5.12 ₡2,295

-46.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.73 R 61.4

$19.92 ₡8,931

-81.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R 21.09

$2.80 ₡1,255

-54.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R 28.88

$3.52 ₡1,580

-50.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 R 28.72

$1.22 ₡549

42.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 R 9.03

$2.17 ₡973

-74.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.86

$1.56 ₡698

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 R 176

$8.67 ₡3,886

22.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.69

$1.55 ₡697

-3.23%

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

$31.3K R 514.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-9.53%

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

$34.0K R 560.5K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-12.21%

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

$146 R 2,404

$94.8 ₡42.5K

53.88%

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

$37.98 R 626

$36.15 ₡16.2K

5.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.45 R 633

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-27.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.77 R 458

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-62.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.05 R 198

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-66.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 R 114

$7.91 ₡3,548

-12.26%

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

$103 R 1,691

$490 ₡219.9K

-79.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,463 R 90.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-54.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 R 1,008

$54.8 ₡24.6K

11.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 R 551

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-40.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,916

$80.4 ₡36.0K

44.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 R 1,597

$77.9 ₡34.9K

24.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 R 6,494

$801 ₡359.1K

-50.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 R 6,084

$790 ₡354.1K

-53.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 R 10.2K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-84.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 R 12.1K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-47.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$763 R 12.6K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-89.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$736 R 12.1K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-40.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$776 R 12.8K

$887 ₡397.6K

-12.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

8.62

32.02%

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

Last update for Upington: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Upington

$369 32.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 114% $420

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Upington

$222 19.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 17.2% $38

Groceries & Markets

Upington

$190 16.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 83.6% $159

Eating Out

Upington

$159 14%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 34% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Upington

$139 12.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 12.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Upington

$42 3.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 115% $48

Getting Around

Upington

$12 * 1.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 620% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Upington versus $801 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 14% 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 $37.00 in Upington versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $350 – making Upington the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Upington

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

18:08 6:08 PM

8 h behind Upington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,834

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 21, 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 21, 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

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Between locations

Upington Nosara 12,180 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Upington
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

Upington vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,133 in Upington, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 62% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,700 per month in Upington and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Upington, 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 $37.00 in Upington 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 84% 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 Upington, where all-in costs run around $1,133, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Upington 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 $1,133 in Upington to $1,835 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 Upington. 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.