Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelmim and Guanacaste

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelmim: $568 a month against $1,548 in Guanacaste, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Guelmim
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Guelmim Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
Learn more

Guanacaste Living Index

Jump to prices

Guelmim

🇲🇦 Morocco

$568

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guelmim and in Guanacaste

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guelmim and in Guanacaste actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $568 per month in Guelmim vs $1,548 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Guelmim $568
Guanacaste $1,548

A couple spends around $924 per month in Guelmim vs $2,428 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Guelmim $924
Guanacaste $2,428

A family of three spends $1,281 per month in Guelmim vs $3,309 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Guelmim $1,281
Guanacaste $3,309

Guelmim is about 63% cheaper than Guanacaste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Guelmim sits 58% below the global median, while Guanacaste is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 MAD 49.22

$10.82 ₡4,851

-53.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.16 MAD 245

$48.68 ₡21.8K

-48.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 MAD 69.9

$11.68 ₡5,237

-38.61%

Cappuccino

$2.02 MAD 19.69

$4.53 ₡2,032

-55.41%

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

$0.84 MAD 8.17

$2.75 ₡1,234

-69.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 MAD 4.84

$1.94 ₡871

-74.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 MAD 51.4

$3.16 ₡1,417

66.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MAD 43.93

$4.54 ₡2,037

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.43

$2.00 ₡895

-57.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 MAD 4.03

$3.04 ₡1,363

-86.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MAD 9.90

$2.43 ₡1,090

-58.02%

Eggs

$1.68 MAD 16.36

$3.54 ₡1,588

-52.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 MAD 79.8

$5.44 ₡2,438

50.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 MAD 33.23

$4.47 ₡2,002

-23.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 MAD 83.6

$10.84 ₡4,861

-20.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 12.26

$2.56 ₡1,147

-50.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MAD 11.63

$1.64 ₡735

-27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.81

$4.51 ₡2,022

-80.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 MAD 6.34

$1.56 ₡698

-58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.20

$3.90 ₡1,749

-83.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 MAD 5.88

$2.23 ₡1,002

-73.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MAD 5.72

$0.85 ₡383

-30.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MAD 5.34

$3.09 ₡1,386

-82.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 MAD 39.22

$4.42 ₡1,984

-9.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 MAD 110

$20.31 ₡9,107

-44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MAD 11.90

$2.90 ₡1,300

-57.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 MAD 13.17

$2.66 ₡1,191

-49.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MAD 6.68

$1.30 ₡582

-46.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MAD 203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 MAD 5.76

$2.45 ₡1,100

-75.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 MAD 5.83

$1.55 ₡696

-61.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 MAD 60.3

$8.80 ₡3,945

-29.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MAD 12.94

$1.55 ₡695

-14.19%

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

$33.8K MAD 330.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

55.07%

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

$29.2K MAD 285.1K

$35.4K ₡15.9M

-17.48%

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

$24.40 MAD 238

$96.5 ₡43.3K

-74.71%

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

$10.28 MAD 100

$36.34 ₡16.3K

-71.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.03 MAD 205

$32.76 ₡14.7K

-35.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 MAD 250

$72.0 ₡32.3K

-64.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.83 MAD 203

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MAD 49.08

$7.57 ₡3,395

-33.55%

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

$70.2 MAD 684

$974 ₡436.7K

-92.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,880 MAD 18.3K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-89.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.36 MAD 179

$65.6 ₡29.4K

-72.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 MAD 151

$43.46 ₡19.5K

-64.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 MAD 579

$88.9 ₡39.9K

-33.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.08 MAD 303

$76.9 ₡34.5K

-59.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 MAD 1,879

$812 ₡364.2K

-76.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 MAD 1,090

$625 ₡280.4K

-82.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 MAD 3,112

$1,920 ₡861.1K

-83.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 MAD 2,192

$1,264 ₡567.0K

-82.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,225 MAD 11.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$829 MAD 8,080

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$312 MAD 3,047

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 Guelmim: October 11, 2026

Last update for Guanacaste: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Guelmim

$155 27.2%

Guanacaste

$311 20.1% 101% $156

Eating Out

Guelmim

$127 22.3%

Guanacaste

$220 14.2% 73.1% $93

Accommodation & Living

Guelmim

$112 19.7%

Guanacaste

$625 40.4% 459% $513

Clothing & Footwear

Guelmim

$56 9.9%

Guanacaste

$124 8% 121% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guelmim

$56 9.8%

Guanacaste

$166 10.7% 197% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Guelmim

$36 6.3%

Guanacaste

$87 5.6% 144% $51

Getting Around

Guelmim

$27 4.8%

Guanacaste

$15 * 1% 43.2% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $193 in Guelmim versus $812 in Guanacaste. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Guelmim versus $49.00 in Guanacaste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $311 – making Guelmim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Guelmim

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

16:10 4:10 PM

09:10 9:10 AM

7 h behind Guelmim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,318

1,823

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Guelmim Guanacaste 8,050 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Guelmim
Guanacaste

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

Guelmim vs Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guanacaste is pricier by about 173%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $852 per month in Guelmim and $2,321 in Guanacaste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guelmim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $568 in Guelmim and $1,548 in Guanacaste. That's a gap of about 173%.

Kindergarten costs $70.2 per month in Guelmim and $974 in Guanacaste. 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 Guelmim, where all-in costs run around $568, than in Guanacaste at $1,548. In Guelmim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guanacaste it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guelmim – 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 Guelmim. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guanacaste makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.