Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria Falls and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria Falls: $902 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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

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Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$902

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $902 per month in Victoria Falls vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Victoria Falls $902
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,466 per month in Victoria Falls vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Victoria Falls $1,466
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,031 per month in Victoria Falls vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Victoria Falls $2,031
Nosara $3,712

Victoria Falls is about 51% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Victoria Falls sits 33% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 ZWL 266

$12.22 ₡5,509

-18.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.68 ZWL 1,220

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-24.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$5.83 ZWL 156

$4.31 ₡1,941

35.27%

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

$0.99 ZWL 26.34

$1.72 ₡773

-42.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ZWL 12.81

$1.35 ₡608

-64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ZWL 132

$3.24 ₡1,459

52.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ZWL 52.9

$1.57 ₡707

26.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 27.35

$3.17 ₡1,429

-67.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

$2.42 ₡1,091

-19.42%

Eggs

$3.59 ZWL 95.9

$3.57 ₡1,609

0.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.57 ZWL 68.7

$7.43 ₡3,349

-65.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 ZWL 162

$10.42 ₡4,697

-41.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 ZWL 208

$13.66 ₡6,156

-43.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ZWL 78.7

$2.32 ₡1,044

27.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 ZWL 78.6

$1.61 ₡728

82.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 ZWL 78.4

$4.74 ₡2,138

-37.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 ZWL 104

$1.66 ₡747

135.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ZWL 52.7

$3.57 ₡1,611

-44.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 ZWL 53.0

$1.10 ₡497

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ZWL 40.77

$2.55 ₡1,149

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ZWL 90.3

$4.95 ₡2,232

-31.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.97 ZWL 533

$20.01 ₡9,020

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 ZWL 52.6

$1.19 ₡537

65.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ZWL 27.32

$1.55 ₡701

-34.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 ZWL 47.59

$1.57 ₡708

13.38%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$24.86 ZWL 664

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-73.40%

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

$25.21 ZWL 673

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-28.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 ZWL 1,845

$51.5 ₡23.2K

34.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 ZWL 1,631

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-14.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 ZWL 396

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-58.15%

Cinema Ticket

$19.97 ZWL 533

$7.84 ₡3,535

154.72%

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

$99.6 ZWL 2,660

$490 ₡220.7K

-79.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,890 ZWL 157.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-50.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.17 ZWL 405

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-71.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ZWL 662

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-55.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 ZWL 1,612

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-23.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.58 ZWL 1,217

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-42.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ZWL 6,728

$786 ₡354.3K

-67.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ZWL 4,757

$780 ₡351.6K

-77.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 ZWL 13.3K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-87.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ZWL 9,533

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-74.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 ZWL 21.5K

$876 ₡395.0K

-7.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Victoria Falls: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Victoria Falls

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Victoria Falls

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Victoria Falls

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria Falls

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria Falls

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria Falls

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Victoria Falls

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Victoria Falls versus $786 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 9% 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 $46.00 in Victoria Falls versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $247 vs $350 – making Victoria Falls the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Victoria Falls

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:40 8:40 AM

00:40 12:40 AM

8 h behind Victoria Falls

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,215

4,912

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.74 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 26.71 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.74 USD). 1 EUR = 29.96 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Victoria Falls Nosara 12,610 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Victoria Falls
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

Victoria Falls vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $902 in Victoria Falls, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 104% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,352 per month in Victoria Falls and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Victoria Falls, 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 $46.00 in Victoria Falls and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Victoria Falls, where all-in costs run around $902, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Victoria Falls 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 $902 in Victoria Falls 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 Victoria Falls. 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.