Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambositra and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambositra: $476 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ambositra
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Ambositra Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ambositra

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$476

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $476 per month in Ambositra vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Ambositra $476
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $727 per month in Ambositra vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Ambositra $727
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $979 per month in Ambositra vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Ambositra $979
Nosara $3,818

Ambositra is about 74% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ambositra sits 65% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.72 MGA 12.4K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-77.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.95 MGA 91.0K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-67.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 MGA 24.7K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-28.06%

Cappuccino

$1.64 MGA 7,496

$4.41 ₡1,978

-62.81%

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

$0.81 MGA 3,701

$1.74 ₡780

-53.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MGA 2,017

$1.31 ₡587

-66.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MGA 4,654

$3.28 ₡1,471

-68.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 MGA 10.4K

$4.47 ₡2,004

-48.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 MGA 4,517

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MGA 4,477

$3.02 ₡1,355

-67.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 MGA 3,494

$2.51 ₡1,125

-69.32%

Eggs

$1.96 MGA 8,938

$3.57 ₡1,603

-45.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 MGA 38.8K

$7.43 ₡3,333

14.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 MGA 20.2K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-57.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.71 MGA 21.5K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-66.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MGA 4,943

$2.35 ₡1,052

-54.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 MGA 2,581

$1.61 ₡720

-64.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,733

$4.80 ₡2,152

-78.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 MGA 3,990

$1.61 ₡724

-45.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,646

$3.80 ₡1,703

-84.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MGA 4,468

$3.69 ₡1,657

-73.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,576

$1.13 ₡507

-69.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 MGA 3,101

$2.66 ₡1,191

-74.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 MGA 7,013

$5.18 ₡2,321

-70.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.92 MGA 22.5K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-75.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MGA 4,702

$2.90 ₡1,300

-64.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 MGA 8,455

$3.63 ₡1,626

-49.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MGA 14.9K

$2.14 ₡958

52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 MGA 9,333

$1.57 ₡703

30.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 MGA 20.4K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-47.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 MGA 5,134

$1.52 ₡682

-25.66%

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

$11.7K MGA 53.6M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-45.62%

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

$25.5K MGA 116.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.19%

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

$73.8 MGA 336.6K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-23.37%

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

$16.64 MGA 75.9K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-53.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 MGA 257.1K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

5.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.55 MGA 25.3K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-29.66%

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

$24.84 MGA 113.3K

$494 ₡221.6K

-94.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K MGA 67.8M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

25.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.27 MGA 128.9K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-47.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.51 MGA 125.5K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-50.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 MGA 343.5K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 MGA 315.9K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-13.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Ambositra: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambositra

$147 30.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 26.5% $39

Groceries & Markets

Ambositra

$142 29.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 149% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Ambositra

$90 19%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 33.2% $30

Eating Out

Ambositra

$72 15.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 193% $139

Getting Around

Ambositra

$13 * 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 546% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Ambositra

$11 * 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 686% $76

Accommodation & Living

Ambositra

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Ambositra versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $352 – making Ambositra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Ambositra

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

16:25 4:25 PM

9 h behind Ambositra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,078

4,912

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ambositra Nosara 14,850 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambositra
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

Ambositra vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 287%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $713 per month in Ambositra and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $476 in Ambositra and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 287%.

Kindergarten costs $24.84 per month in Ambositra and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ambositra, where all-in costs run around $476, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ambositra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ambositra – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ambositra. 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.