Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $577 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$577

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $577 per month in Zanzibar vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Zanzibar $577
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $857 per month in Zanzibar vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Zanzibar $857
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,137 per month in Zanzibar vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Zanzibar $1,137
Nosara $3,712

Zanzibar is about 69% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zanzibar sits 57% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.78 TZS 12.5K

$12.22 ₡5,509

-60.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.74 TZS 57.0K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-63.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 TZS 14.5K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-26.53%

Cappuccino

$2.21 TZS 5,810

$4.31 ₡1,941

-48.72%

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

$0.60 TZS 1,568

$1.72 ₡773

-65.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 TZS 874

$1.35 ₡608

-75.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 TZS 4,999

$3.24 ₡1,459

-41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 TZS 7,135

$4.48 ₡2,018

-39.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 TZS 5,357

$1.57 ₡707

29.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 TZS 1,902

$3.17 ₡1,429

-77.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 TZS 2,185

$2.42 ₡1,091

-65.70%

Eggs

$2.68 TZS 7,044

$3.57 ₡1,609

-24.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 TZS 19.8K

$7.43 ₡3,349

1.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 TZS 5,803

$10.42 ₡4,697

-78.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.12 TZS 16.1K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-55.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 TZS 7,493

$2.32 ₡1,044

23.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 TZS 2,918

$1.61 ₡728

-31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 TZS 1,967

$4.74 ₡2,138

-84.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 TZS 1,556

$1.66 ₡747

-64.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 TZS 2,581

$3.72 ₡1,679

-73.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 TZS 3,871

$3.57 ₡1,611

-58.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 TZS 1,960

$1.10 ₡497

-31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,283

$2.55 ₡1,149

-80.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 TZS 5,403

$4.95 ₡2,232

-58.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 TZS 24.4K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-53.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 TZS 4,043

$2.79 ₡1,256

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 TZS 3,428

$3.53 ₡1,589

-62.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 817

$1.19 ₡537

-73.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 TZS 9,701

$2.24 ₡1,011

65.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 TZS 2,073

$1.55 ₡701

-49.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 TZS 6,862

$8.86 ₡3,993

-70.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 TZS 3,339

$1.57 ₡708

-19.11%

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)

$48.8K TZS 128.0M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

40.88%

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

$73.3 TZS 192.4K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-21.54%

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

$11.35 TZS 29.8K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-67.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.97 TZS 131.1K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-2.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.66 TZS 77.8K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-58.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.71 TZS 25.5K

$7.84 ₡3,535

23.85%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.93 TZS 33.9K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-75.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.28 TZS 45.3K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-69.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.25 TZS 40.0K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-80.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.08 TZS 34.3K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-83.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$149 TZS 389.9K

$786 ₡354.3K

-81.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.0 TZS 259.8K

$780 ₡351.6K

-87.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 TZS 528.4K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-94.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 TZS 393.4K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-89.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.6K TZS 98.6M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

438.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

$1,201 ₡541.3K

854.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 TZS 820.4K

$876 ₡395.0K

-64.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

16.01%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 113% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$135 23.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 33.7% $45

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$100 17.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 109% $109

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$99 17%

Nosara

$780 43% 688% $681

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 77.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 357% $94

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.9 * 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 877% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $149 in Zanzibar 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 180% 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 $22.00 in Zanzibar versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $350 – making Zanzibar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

01:19 1:19 AM

9 h behind Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

4,912

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,624 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD). 1 EUR = 2,943 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 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 TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zanzibar Nosara 13,940 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
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

Zanzibar vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $577 in Zanzibar, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 218% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $865 per month in Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar, 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 $22.00 in Zanzibar and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $577 in Zanzibar and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 218%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zanzibar, where all-in costs run around $577, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Zanzibar 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 $577 in Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar. 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.