Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cozumel and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Cozumel: $1,167 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 Cozumel
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Cozumel Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Cozumel

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,167

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,167 in Cozumel versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Cozumel $1,167
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,884 in Cozumel versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Cozumel $1,884
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,602 in Cozumel versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Cozumel $2,602
Nosara $3,712

Living in Cozumel costs roughly 37% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cozumel is 13% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 MX$158

$12.22 ₡5,509

-28.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.03 MX$819

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 MX$150

$7.54 ₡3,399

9.15%

Cappuccino

$2.79 MX$50.7

$4.31 ₡1,941

-35.27%

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

$1.11 MX$20.20

$1.72 ₡773

-35.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$18.62

$1.35 ₡608

-24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 MX$30.74

$3.24 ₡1,459

-47.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$57.7

$4.48 ₡2,018

-29.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$26.05

$1.57 ₡707

-8.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 MX$29.92

$3.17 ₡1,429

-48.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MX$32.02

$2.42 ₡1,091

-27.27%

Eggs

$1.89 MX$34.40

$3.57 ₡1,609

-47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 MX$188

$7.43 ₡3,349

39.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.06 MX$147

$10.42 ₡4,697

-22.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 MX$234

$13.66 ₡6,156

-5.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 MX$44.91

$2.32 ₡1,044

6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$25.46

$1.61 ₡728

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$38.71

$4.74 ₡2,138

-55.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MX$27.90

$1.66 ₡747

-7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 MX$40.74

$3.72 ₡1,679

-39.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MX$32.13

$3.57 ₡1,611

-50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.57

$1.10 ₡497

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$21.83

$2.55 ₡1,149

-52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 MX$80.6

$4.95 ₡2,232

-10.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 MX$199

$20.01 ₡9,020

-45.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.97

$2.79 ₡1,256

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 MX$46.70

$3.53 ₡1,589

-27.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.47

$1.19 ₡537

-42.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 MX$1,222

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-6.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 MX$51.6

$2.24 ₡1,011

26.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 MX$35.87

$1.55 ₡701

27.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 MX$169

$8.86 ₡3,993

4.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$24.88

$1.57 ₡708

-12.74%

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

$20.5K MX$373.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-5.80%

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

$24.3K MX$442.7K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-29.73%

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

$59.7 MX$1,087

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-36.07%

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

$20.99 MX$382

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-40.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.26 MX$405

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-56.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.08 MX$711

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-45.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.46 MX$372

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-42.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 MX$112

$7.84 ₡3,535

-21.81%

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

$261 MX$4,745

$490 ₡220.7K

-46.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,671 MX$66.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-69.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MX$988

$53.5 ₡24.1K

1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$985

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-2.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,893

$79.3 ₡35.7K

31.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.7 MX$1,541

$78.9 ₡35.6K

7.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 MX$11.0K

$786 ₡354.3K

-22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 MX$7,259

$780 ₡351.6K

-48.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 MX$29.4K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-58.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.9K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-45.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,922 MX$35.0K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-72.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,163 MX$21.2K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-3.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$662 MX$12.0K

$876 ₡395.0K

-24.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.64

8.62

35.03%

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

Last update for Cozumel: 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

Cozumel

$399 33.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 95.4% $381

Groceries & Markets

Cozumel

$257 21.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 35.8% $92

Eating Out

Cozumel

$151 12.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 38.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Cozumel

$134 11.4%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 10% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cozumel

$103 8.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 74.8% $77

Getting Around

Cozumel

$83 7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 5.1% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Cozumel

$51 4.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 69.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $606 in Cozumel and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Cozumel vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $350 per month, with Cozumel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cozumel

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:13 8:13 PM

19:13 7:13 PM

1 h behind Cozumel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,236

4,912

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 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 MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cozumel Nosara 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cozumel
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

Cozumel vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cozumel and Nosara differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,167 vs $1,837 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $606 in Cozumel versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cozumel – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,167 in Cozumel versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.