Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ensenada and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ensenada: $1,077 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Ensenada
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Ensenada Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ensenada

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,077

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,077 in Ensenada versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Ensenada $1,077
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,707 in Ensenada versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Ensenada $1,707
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,336 in Ensenada versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Ensenada $2,336
Nosara $3,712

Living in Ensenada costs roughly 41% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ensenada is 20% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 MX$218

$12.22 ₡5,509

-1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.40 MX$626

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-42.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 MX$134

$7.54 ₡3,399

-2.12%

Cappuccino

$3.06 MX$55.6

$4.31 ₡1,941

-29.00%

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

$1.18 MX$21.51

$1.72 ₡773

-31.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 MX$12.55

$1.35 ₡608

-48.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 MX$51.7

$3.24 ₡1,459

-12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 MX$72.3

$4.48 ₡2,018

-11.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MX$32.00

$1.57 ₡707

12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$47.86

$3.17 ₡1,429

-17.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.11

$2.42 ₡1,091

-29.34%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$49.57

$3.57 ₡1,609

-23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$155

$7.43 ₡3,349

14.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 MX$123

$10.42 ₡4,697

-35.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 MX$189

$13.66 ₡6,156

-23.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 MX$39.40

$2.32 ₡1,044

-6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$29.81

$1.61 ₡728

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.06

$4.74 ₡2,138

-61.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MX$28.78

$1.66 ₡747

-4.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 MX$24.50

$3.72 ₡1,679

-63.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$33.41

$3.57 ₡1,611

-48.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.84

$1.10 ₡497

34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.89

$2.55 ₡1,149

-59.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$73.8

$4.95 ₡2,232

-17.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.45 MX$245

$20.01 ₡9,020

-32.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 MX$32.87

$2.79 ₡1,256

-35.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$48.58

$3.53 ₡1,589

-24.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$15.81

$1.19 ₡537

-26.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.92 MX$653

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-50.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 MX$54.0

$2.24 ₡1,011

32.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 MX$36.04

$1.55 ₡701

27.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.57 MX$356

$8.86 ₡3,993

120.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$24.87

$1.57 ₡708

-12.74%

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

$20.0K MX$364.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-8.21%

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

$24.6K MX$447.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-29.00%

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

$48.01 MX$873

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-48.62%

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

$32.03 MX$583

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-8.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.68 MX$485

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-48.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.95 MX$563

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-56.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.17 MX$203

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-68.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$84.5

$7.84 ₡3,535

-40.69%

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

$197 MX$3,582

$490 ₡220.7K

-59.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,889 MX$88.9K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-58.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 MX$985

$53.5 ₡24.1K

1.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 MX$803

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-20.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,875

$79.3 ₡35.7K

30.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.9 MX$1,054

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 MX$9,610

$786 ₡354.3K

-32.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 MX$6,052

$780 ₡351.6K

-57.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 MX$18.3K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-73.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 MX$11.8K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-53.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,345 MX$24.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-80.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$687 MX$12.5K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-42.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$12.2K

$876 ₡395.0K

-23.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.62

31.09%

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

Last update for Ensenada: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ensenada

$333 30.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 134% $447

Groceries & Markets

Ensenada

$255 23.5%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 36.9% $94

Eating Out

Ensenada

$184 16.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 13.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ensenada

$117 10.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 3.1% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ensenada

$107 9.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 68.7% $73

Getting Around

Ensenada

$52 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 66.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ensenada

$40 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 116% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $528 in Ensenada and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 30% 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: $34.00 in Ensenada vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $350 per month, with Ensenada cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ensenada

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:58 8:58 PM

21:58 9:58 PM

1 h ahead of Ensenada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

330,652

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

Ensenada Nosara 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ensenada
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

Ensenada vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ensenada and Nosara differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,077 vs $1,837 including rent). Ensenada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% 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: $528 in Ensenada versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,077 per month in Ensenada versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ensenada runs roughly 101% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,077 in Ensenada versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ensenada but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ensenada 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, Ensenada 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 Ensenada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.