Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Windhoek: $1,171 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Windhoek
Learn more

Windhoek Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Windhoek

🇳🇦 Namibia

$1,171

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,171 per month in Windhoek vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Windhoek $1,171
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Windhoek vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Windhoek $1,979
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,787 per month in Windhoek vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Windhoek $2,787
Nosara $3,712

Windhoek is about 36% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Windhoek sits 13% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.46 NAD 189

$12.22 ₡5,509

-6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 NAD 1,040

$60.2 ₡27.1K

4.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 NAD 96.4

$7.54 ₡3,399

-22.55%

Cappuccino

$2.35 NAD 38.73

$4.31 ₡1,941

-45.48%

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

$0.87 NAD 14.32

$1.72 ₡773

-49.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 NAD 14.41

$1.35 ₡608

-35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 NAD 32.67

$3.24 ₡1,459

-38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NAD 34.95

$4.48 ₡2,018

-52.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 NAD 25.27

$1.57 ₡707

-2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 NAD 15.62

$3.17 ₡1,429

-70.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 NAD 31.81

$2.42 ₡1,091

-20.25%

Eggs

$3.17 NAD 52.3

$3.57 ₡1,609

-11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 NAD 156

$7.43 ₡3,349

27.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 NAD 109

$10.42 ₡4,697

-36.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 NAD 125

$13.66 ₡6,156

-44.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 NAD 35.47

$2.32 ₡1,044

-7.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 NAD 31.21

$1.61 ₡728

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 NAD 31.07

$4.74 ₡2,138

-60.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 NAD 32.61

$1.66 ₡747

19.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NAD 33.07

$3.72 ₡1,679

-46.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 NAD 30.00

$3.57 ₡1,611

-49.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NAD 32.14

$1.10 ₡497

77.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NAD 17.64

$2.55 ₡1,149

-58.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 NAD 54.8

$4.95 ₡2,232

-32.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 NAD 112

$20.01 ₡9,020

-66.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NAD 23.19

$2.79 ₡1,256

-49.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 NAD 23.47

$3.53 ₡1,589

-59.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 NAD 12.25

$1.19 ₡537

-37.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.69 NAD 803

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-32.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 NAD 13.50

$2.24 ₡1,011

-63.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 NAD 14.34

$1.55 ₡701

-43.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.56 NAD 257

$8.86 ₡3,993

75.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 NAD 22.10

$1.57 ₡708

-14.65%

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

$24.3K NAD 400.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

11.26%

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

$27.1K NAD 447.1K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-21.76%

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

$139 NAD 2,287

$93.5 ₡42.1K

48.29%

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

$25.91 NAD 428

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-26.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NAD 847

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.58 NAD 620

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-47.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 NAD 174

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-70.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.32 NAD 87.7

$7.84 ₡3,535

-32.14%

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

$209 NAD 3,445

$490 ₡220.7K

-57.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,376 NAD 88.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-54.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 NAD 890

$53.5 ₡24.1K

0.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.95 NAD 560

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-39.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NAD 1,501

$79.3 ₡35.7K

14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 NAD 1,574

$78.9 ₡35.6K

20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 NAD 8,120

$786 ₡354.3K

-37.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 NAD 5,885

$780 ₡351.6K

-54.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NAD 18.8K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-70.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 NAD 14.3K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-38.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,615 NAD 26.6K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-76.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$601 NAD 9,922

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-49.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$989 NAD 16.3K

$876 ₡395.0K

12.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.62

32.48%

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

Last update for Windhoek: 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

Windhoek

$357 30.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 119% $423

Groceries & Markets

Windhoek

$223 18.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 56.9% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Windhoek

$216 18.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 16.6% $36

Eating Out

Windhoek

$159 13.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 32.1% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Windhoek

$123 10.4%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 2.5% $3.1

Getting Around

Windhoek

$57 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 52.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Windhoek

$48 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 80.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $492 in Windhoek 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 13% higher in Windhoek, 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 $63.0 in Windhoek versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Windhoek vs $350 in Nosara – so Windhoek wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇦 Windhoek

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

8 h behind Windhoek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,500 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Namibian Dollar NAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 NAD = 6.06 USD

100 NAD = 5.4 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to NAD – Namibian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇦 Namibian Dollar ($)

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 NAD (100 NAD = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 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 NAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Windhoek Nosara 11,730 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Windhoek
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

Windhoek vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,171 in Windhoek, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,756 per month in Windhoek 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 Windhoek, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Windhoek. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $209 per month in Windhoek and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Windhoek, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Windhoek 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 $1,171 in Windhoek 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 Windhoek. 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.