Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $777 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$777

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Fuvahmulah $777
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,105 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Fuvahmulah $1,105
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,432 in Fuvahmulah versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Fuvahmulah $1,432
Nosara $3,712

Living in Fuvahmulah costs roughly 58% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fuvahmulah is 42% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MVR 24.65

$1.57 ₡707

1.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 MVR 14.80

$3.17 ₡1,429

-69.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.47 MVR 7.27

$2.42 ₡1,091

-80.58%

Eggs

$1.58 MVR 24.30

$3.57 ₡1,609

-55.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 MVR 98.8

$7.43 ₡3,349

-13.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 MVR 72.3

$10.42 ₡4,697

-54.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 MVR 198

$13.66 ₡6,156

-6.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 MVR 50.9

$2.32 ₡1,044

42.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MVR 19.52

$1.61 ₡728

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 MVR 48.59

$4.74 ₡2,138

-33.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MVR 24.25

$1.66 ₡747

-5.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 MVR 17.34

$3.72 ₡1,679

-69.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MVR 17.20

$3.57 ₡1,611

-68.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MVR 25.27

$1.10 ₡497

49.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MVR 9.65

$2.55 ₡1,149

-75.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.90 MVR 60.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 MVR 104

$4.95 ₡2,232

36.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MVR 10.34

$1.19 ₡537

-43.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.75 MVR 305

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-72.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$2.24 ₡1,011

-25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 MVR 24.36

$1.55 ₡701

1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 MVR 102

$8.86 ₡3,993

-25.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MVR 19.50

$1.57 ₡708

-19.75%

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

$19.2K MVR 296.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-11.87%

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

$22.4K MVR 345.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-35.34%

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

$161 MVR 2,490

$93.5 ₡42.1K

72.80%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.30 MVR 591

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-25.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.43 MVR 346

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-68.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.70 MVR 196

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-64.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 MVR 97.5

$7.84 ₡3,535

-19.39%

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

$157 MVR 2,415

$490 ₡220.7K

-68.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,250 MVR 34.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-81.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.36 MVR 453

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-45.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.17 MVR 296

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-65.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.70 MVR 581

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-52.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 MVR 802

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-34.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 MVR 4,959

$786 ₡354.3K

-59.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 MVR 3,996

$780 ₡351.6K

-66.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 MVR 8,343

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-85.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 MVR 7,957

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-63.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$348 MVR 5,362

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-71.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 MVR 10.3K

$876 ₡395.0K

-23.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Fuvahmulah: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fuvahmulah

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Fuvahmulah

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Fuvahmulah

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fuvahmulah

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Fuvahmulah

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Fuvahmulah

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Fuvahmulah

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $322 in Fuvahmulah and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

04:30 4:30 AM

11 h behind Fuvahmulah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,140

4,912

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.79 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.28 MVR (100 MVR = 5.79 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 MVR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fuvahmulah Nosara 17,460 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Fuvahmulah
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

Fuvahmulah vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% 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: $322 in Fuvahmulah versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Fuvahmulah versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Fuvahmulah runs roughly 265% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $777 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Fuvahmulah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fuvahmulah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fuvahmulah 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 Fuvahmulah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.