Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambatolampy and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambatolampy: $476 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ambatolampy
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Ambatolampy Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Ambatolampy

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$476

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $476 in Ambatolampy versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Ambatolampy $476
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $704 in Ambatolampy versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Ambatolampy $704
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $932 in Ambatolampy versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Ambatolampy $932
Nosara $3,712

Living in Ambatolampy costs roughly 74% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ambatolampy is 64% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.0K

$12.22 ₡5,509

-78.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.12 MGA 45.3K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-83.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 MGA 25.4K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-24.67%

Cappuccino

$1.68 MGA 7,519

$4.31 ₡1,941

-61.02%

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

$0.83 MGA 3,713

$1.72 ₡773

-51.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MGA 2,061

$1.35 ₡608

-65.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MGA 4,551

$3.24 ₡1,459

-68.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MGA 10.0K

$4.48 ₡2,018

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 MGA 3,870

$1.57 ₡707

-44.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MGA 4,687

$3.17 ₡1,429

-66.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 MGA 3,482

$2.42 ₡1,091

-67.77%

Eggs

$2.13 MGA 9,512

$3.57 ₡1,609

-40.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 MGA 39.1K

$7.43 ₡3,349

17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.47 MGA 20.0K

$10.42 ₡4,697

-57.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.81 MGA 21.5K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-64.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MGA 4,795

$2.32 ₡1,044

-53.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,435

$1.61 ₡728

-66.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 MGA 4,535

$4.74 ₡2,138

-78.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 MGA 3,667

$1.66 ₡747

-50.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,578

$3.72 ₡1,679

-84.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MGA 4,265

$3.57 ₡1,611

-73.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 MGA 1,461

$1.10 ₡497

-70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MGA 3,240

$2.55 ₡1,149

-71.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.64 MGA 7,331

$4.95 ₡2,232

-66.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 MGA 23.2K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-74.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MGA 4,694

$2.79 ₡1,256

-62.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 MGA 8,415

$3.53 ₡1,589

-46.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 MGA 15.7K

$2.24 ₡1,011

56.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 MGA 9,046

$1.55 ₡701

30.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 MGA 20.9K

$8.86 ₡3,993

-47.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MGA 3,858

$1.57 ₡708

-45.22%

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

$12.3K MGA 55.0M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-43.61%

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

$26.1K MGA 116.5M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-24.77%

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

$76.2 MGA 340.4K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-18.51%

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

$17.10 MGA 76.4K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-51.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 MGA 257.2K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

11.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 MGA 25.7K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-26.79%

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

$25.50 MGA 114.0K

$490 ₡220.7K

-94.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K MGA 66.7M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

25.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.10 MGA 130.1K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-45.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.59 MGA 123.3K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-50.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 MGA 355.8K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 MGA 313.5K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-11.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

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)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

8.62

82.71%

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

Last update for Ambatolampy: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambatolampy

$151 31%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 19.4% $29

Groceries & Markets

Ambatolampy

$144 29.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 143% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Ambatolampy

$93 19.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 29.6% $27

Eating Out

Ambatolampy

$73 15.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 185% $136

Getting Around

Ambatolampy

$14 * 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 538% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Ambatolampy

$11 * 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 659% $76

Accommodation & Living

Ambatolampy

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $10.00 in Ambatolampy vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $144 vs $350 per month, with Ambatolampy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Ambatolampy

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

06:12 6:12 AM

9 h behind Ambatolampy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,291

4,912

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ambatolampy Nosara 14,880 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambatolampy
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

Ambatolampy vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambatolampy wins on cost – living expenses run 286% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambatolampy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $714 in Ambatolampy and $2,756 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $25.50 in Ambatolampy versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ambatolampy – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $476 in Ambatolampy versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ambatolampy but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ambatolampy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ambatolampy delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $476 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ambatolampy hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ambatolampy and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ambatolampy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 286% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.