Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machala and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $654 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$654

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $654 in Machala versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Machala $654
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,045 in Machala versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Machala $1,045
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,436 in Machala versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Machala $1,436
Nosara $3,818

Living in Machala costs roughly 64% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Machala is 52% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.69 $2.69

$12.35 ₡5,539

-78.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.09 $25.09

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-58.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 $5.21

$7.52 ₡3,373

-30.72%

Cappuccino

$2.70 $2.70

$4.41 ₡1,978

-38.78%

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

$0.84 $0.84

$1.74 ₡780

-51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.31 ₡587

-42.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.28 ₡1,471

-40.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.47 ₡2,004

-14.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.56 ₡701

-29.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 $1.05

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.51 ₡1,125

-61.75%

Eggs

$1.50 $1.50

$3.57 ₡1,603

-57.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$7.43 ₡3,333

-55.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$10.52 ₡4,717

-60.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$13.97 ₡6,265

-65.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.35 ₡1,052

-34.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.61 ₡720

-60.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 $0.74

$4.80 ₡2,152

-84.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$1.61 ₡724

-67.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 $0.38

$3.80 ₡1,703

-90.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$3.69 ₡1,657

-86.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.13 ₡507

-67.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.66 ₡1,191

-62.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.18 ₡2,321

-15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$19.88 ₡8,916

-61.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.90 ₡1,300

-47.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.63 ₡1,626

-41.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$1.12 ₡504

-70.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 $22.38

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-69.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.14 ₡958

-31.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.57 ₡703

14.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 $7.98

$8.52 ₡3,823

-6.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.52 ₡682

-61.18%

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

$18.1K $18.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-16.22%

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

$21.9K $21.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-36.63%

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

$50.8 $50.8

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-47.21%

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

$15.01 $15.01

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-58.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.60 $26.60

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.11 $43.11

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-39.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.17 $30.17

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-13.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 $4.91

$7.89 ₡3,539

-37.77%

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

$133 $133

$494 ₡221.6K

-73.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,667 $5,667

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-52.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$53.9 ₡24.2K

22.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.72 $39.72

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-28.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 $79.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

2.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 $67.6

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 $193

$788 ₡353.4K

-75.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$132 $132

$794 ₡356.2K

-83.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 $349

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-91.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 $265

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-81.33%

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)

$458 $458

$864 ₡387.3K

-47.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for Machala: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machala

$136 20.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 159% $216

Accommodation & Living

Machala

$132 20.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 502% $662

Clothing & Footwear

Machala

$114 17.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 5.5% $6.3

Eating Out

Machala

$93 14.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 127% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machala

$92 14.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 101% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Machala

$53 8.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 65% $34

Getting Around

Machala

$34 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 155% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $193 in Machala and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 89% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Machala vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $136 vs $352 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Machala

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

20:24 8:24 PM

1 h behind Machala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,260

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Machala Nosara 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Machala
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

Machala vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 181% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 89% 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: $193 in Machala versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $654 per month in Machala versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 181% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $654 in Machala versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Machala 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, Machala 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 Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.