Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essaouira and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $782 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
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Essaouira Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$782

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $782 per month in Essaouira vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Essaouira $782
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Essaouira vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Essaouira $1,172
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,562 per month in Essaouira vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Essaouira $1,562
Nosara $3,818

Essaouira is about 57% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Essaouira sits 42% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 MAD 45.00

$12.35 ₡5,539

-62.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 MAD 183

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-69.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 MAD 69.4

$7.52 ₡3,373

-5.32%

Cappuccino

$1.35 MAD 13.14

$4.41 ₡1,978

-69.39%

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

$0.47 MAD 4.58

$1.74 ₡780

-72.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MAD 3.68

$1.31 ₡587

-70.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.31 MAD 51.8

$3.28 ₡1,471

61.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MAD 44.93

$4.47 ₡2,004

3.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 MAD 8.79

$1.56 ₡701

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 MAD 5.25

$3.02 ₡1,355

-82.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MAD 16.28

$2.51 ₡1,125

-33.47%

Eggs

$1.68 MAD 16.37

$3.57 ₡1,603

-52.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 MAD 80.6

$7.43 ₡3,333

11.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 MAD 56.6

$10.52 ₡4,717

-44.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 MAD 104

$13.97 ₡6,265

-23.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 MAD 12.63

$2.35 ₡1,052

-44.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 MAD 11.12

$1.61 ₡720

-29.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.02

$4.80 ₡2,152

-85.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.52

$1.61 ₡724

-52.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MAD 5.67

$3.80 ₡1,703

-84.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 MAD 6.66

$3.69 ₡1,657

-81.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 MAD 3.67

$1.13 ₡507

-66.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.68

$2.66 ₡1,191

-78.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 MAD 37.44

$5.18 ₡2,321

-25.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 MAD 61.6

$19.88 ₡8,916

-68.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 MAD 17.76

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 MAD 20.77

$3.63 ₡1,626

-41.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MAD 7.99

$1.12 ₡504

-26.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 MAD 6.22

$2.14 ₡958

-70.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 MAD 6.19

$1.57 ₡703

-59.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MAD 14.16

$1.52 ₡682

-4.61%

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

$34.6K MAD 337.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

60.09%

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

$29.5K MAD 287.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-14.49%

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

$23.89 MAD 233

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-75.19%

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

$17.25 MAD 168

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-51.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.01 MAD 293

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-44.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 MAD 51.7

$7.89 ₡3,539

-32.83%

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

$69.0 MAD 672

$494 ₡221.6K

-86.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,875 MAD 18.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-84.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.38 MAD 286

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-45.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.72 MAD 436

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 MAD 576

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.76 MAD 407

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-47.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 MAD 3,835

$788 ₡353.4K

-50.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 MAD 3,217

$794 ₡356.2K

-58.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 MAD 9,071

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-76.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 MAD 5,433

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-60.74%

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)

$256 MAD 2,498

$864 ₡387.3K

-70.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Essaouira: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essaouira

$330 42.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 141% $464

Groceries & Markets

Essaouira

$171 21.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 106% $181

Eating Out

Essaouira

$114 14.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 86.4% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Essaouira

$79 10.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 52.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essaouira

$71 9.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 161% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Essaouira

$11 * 1.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 724% $77

Getting Around

Essaouira

$7.1 * 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1129% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $393 in Essaouira versus $788 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 237% 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 $19.00 in Essaouira versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $352 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

12:21 12:21 PM

7 h behind Essaouira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,966

4,912

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 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 MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Essaouira Nosara 8,100 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Essaouira
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

Essaouira vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,173 per month in Essaouira and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Essaouira, 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 $19.00 in Essaouira and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Essaouira, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Essaouira – 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 Essaouira. 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.