Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Marsa and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $772 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in La Marsa
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La Marsa Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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La Marsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$772

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $772 per month in La Marsa vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

La Marsa $772
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,291 per month in La Marsa vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

La Marsa $1,291
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,809 per month in La Marsa vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

La Marsa $1,809
Nosara $3,818

La Marsa is about 58% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

La Marsa sits 43% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 TND 10.21

$12.35 ₡5,539

-72.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.34 TND 60.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-66.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.24 TND 15.69

$7.52 ₡3,373

-30.32%

Cappuccino

$1.30 TND 3.88

$4.41 ₡1,978

-70.52%

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

$0.60 TND 1.79

$1.74 ₡780

-65.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 TND 0.77

$1.31 ₡587

-80.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 TND 4.44

$3.28 ₡1,471

-54.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 TND 5.92

$4.47 ₡2,004

-55.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.53 TND 1.60

$1.56 ₡701

-66.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 TND 0.94

$3.02 ₡1,355

-89.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 TND 6.96

$2.51 ₡1,125

-7.57%

Eggs

$1.85 TND 5.53

$3.57 ₡1,603

-48.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 TND 28.49

$7.43 ₡3,333

27.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 TND 19.93

$10.52 ₡4,717

-36.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 TND 38.98

$13.97 ₡6,265

-6.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 TND 6.08

$2.35 ₡1,052

-13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.58 TND 10.71

$1.61 ₡720

122.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 TND 4.42

$4.80 ₡2,152

-69.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 TND 2.00

$1.61 ₡724

-58.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 TND 1.79

$3.80 ₡1,703

-84.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 TND 1.96

$3.69 ₡1,657

-82.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 TND 1.21

$1.13 ₡507

-64.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 TND 0.91

$2.66 ₡1,191

-88.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 TND 10.91

$5.18 ₡2,321

-29.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 TND 19.47

$19.88 ₡8,916

-67.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 TND 3.79

$2.90 ₡1,300

-56.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 TND 4.84

$3.63 ₡1,626

-55.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 TND 1.03

$1.12 ₡504

-69.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 TND 20.93

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-90.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 TND 0.86

$2.14 ₡958

-86.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 TND 1.27

$1.57 ₡703

-73.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 TND 12.28

$8.52 ₡3,823

-51.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 TND 2.60

$1.52 ₡682

-42.76%

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

$36.9K TND 110.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

70.69%

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

$31.1K TND 93.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-9.96%

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

$33.98 TND 102

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-64.71%

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

$12.23 TND 36.62

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-65.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.32 TND 54.9

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-65.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 TND 125

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-41.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.45 TND 22.30

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-78.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 TND 15.80

$7.89 ₡3,539

-33.21%

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

$59.5 TND 178

$494 ₡221.6K

-87.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,560 TND 7,666

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-78.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 TND 190

$53.9 ₡24.2K

17.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 TND 208

$55.4 ₡24.8K

25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 TND 272

$77.9 ₡34.9K

16.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 TND 269

$79.6 ₡35.7K

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 TND 863

$788 ₡353.4K

-63.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 TND 697

$794 ₡356.2K

-70.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 TND 2,116

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-82.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 TND 1,712

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-59.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,831 TND 5,485

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-73.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,018 TND 3,049

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-16.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$334 TND 1,000

$864 ₡387.3K

-61.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

62.41%

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

Last update for La Marsa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Marsa

$233 30.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 242% $562

Groceries & Markets

La Marsa

$198 25.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 78.1% $154

Clothing & Footwear

La Marsa

$141 18.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 14.9% $21

Eating Out

La Marsa

$73 9.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 189% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Marsa

$65 8.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 188% $121

Sport & Entertainment

La Marsa

$52 6.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 67.3% $35

Getting Around

La Marsa

$11 1.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 709% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $288 in La Marsa 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 159% 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 $20.00 in La Marsa versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $352 – making La Marsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇳 La Marsa

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:33 10:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

7 h behind La Marsa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,987

4,912

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar (د.ت)

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 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 TND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Marsa Nosara 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

La Marsa
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

La Marsa vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 138%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,159 per month in La Marsa 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 La Marsa, 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 $772 in La Marsa and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 138%.

Public transport costs about 939% less in La Marsa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in La Marsa, where all-in costs run around $772, than in Nosara at $1,839. In La Marsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Marsa – 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 La Marsa. 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.