Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla Mujeres and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla Mujeres: $1,087 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Isla Mujeres
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Isla Mujeres Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Isla Mujeres

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,087

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Isla Mujeres $1,087
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Isla Mujeres versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Isla Mujeres $1,747
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,407 in Isla Mujeres versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Isla Mujeres $2,407
Nosara $3,712

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Isla Mujeres is 19% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.60 MX$193

$12.22 ₡5,498

-13.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 MX$714

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-35.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 MX$147

$7.54 ₡3,391

6.90%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$61.8

$4.31 ₡1,937

-21.58%

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

$1.24 MX$22.59

$1.72 ₡772

-27.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$17.61

$1.35 ₡606

-28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 MX$40.87

$3.24 ₡1,456

-30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MX$69.3

$4.48 ₡2,014

-15.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$26.12

$1.57 ₡705

-8.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$48.25

$3.17 ₡1,426

-16.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$28.74

$2.42 ₡1,089

-35.12%

Eggs

$2.38 MX$43.51

$3.57 ₡1,605

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 MX$150

$7.43 ₡3,342

10.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 MX$146

$10.42 ₡4,687

-23.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 MX$197

$13.66 ₡6,143

-21.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$49.58

$2.32 ₡1,042

17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$25.58

$1.61 ₡726

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MX$32.53

$4.74 ₡2,133

-62.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 MX$30.19

$1.66 ₡746

-0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$33.66

$3.72 ₡1,675

-50.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.22

$3.57 ₡1,608

-45.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$22.92

$1.10 ₡496

14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.72

$2.55 ₡1,147

-61.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$78.0

$4.95 ₡2,227

-13.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.66 MX$195

$20.01 ₡9,001

-46.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$28.30

$2.79 ₡1,253

-44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MX$50.0

$3.53 ₡1,586

-22.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.98

$1.19 ₡536

-44.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$48.47

$2.24 ₡1,009

18.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 MX$27.81

$1.55 ₡699

-1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 MX$153

$8.86 ₡3,985

-5.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$24.25

$1.57 ₡706

-15.29%

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

$21.2K MX$387.4K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-2.69%

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

$22.8K MX$416.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-34.08%

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

$56.0 MX$1,023

$93.5 ₡42.0K

-40.04%

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

$22.35 MX$408

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-36.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 MX$509

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-45.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.84 MX$673

$71.4 ₡32.1K

-48.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.02 MX$292

$35.44 ₡15.9K

-54.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 MX$85.4

$7.84 ₡3,528

-40.31%

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

$206 MX$3,758

$490 ₡220.2K

-57.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,587 MX$65.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-69.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$984

$53.5 ₡24.1K

0.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 MX$724

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-28.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 MX$1,630

$79.3 ₡35.7K

12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 MX$1,423

$78.9 ₡35.5K

-1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 MX$9,466

$786 ₡353.6K

-34.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$7,123

$780 ₡350.8K

-49.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 MX$16.9K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-76.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 MX$13.9K

$1,407 ₡633.0K

-45.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,785 MX$32.6K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-74.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,153 MX$21.1K

$1,201 ₡540.2K

-3.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡394.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

8.62

33.18%

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

Last update for Isla Mujeres: 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

Isla Mujeres

$390 35.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 99.9% $390

Groceries & Markets

Isla Mujeres

$252 22.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 38.9% $98

Eating Out

Isla Mujeres

$177 16.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 18.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Isla Mujeres

$117 10.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 2.6% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isla Mujeres

$106 9.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 69.4% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Isla Mujeres

$46 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 88.5% $41

Getting Around

Isla Mujeres

$13 * 1.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 573% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Isla Mujeres and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Isla Mujeres vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $350 per month, with Isla Mujeres cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

01:23 1:23 AM

1 h behind Isla Mujeres

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,174

4,912

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.89 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Isla Mujeres Nosara 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Isla Mujeres
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

Isla Mujeres vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isla Mujeres and Nosara differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,087 vs $1,837 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,631 in Isla Mujeres and $2,756 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $518 in Isla Mujeres versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,087 per month in Isla Mujeres versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,087 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres 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, Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.