Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $557 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Mahajanga $557
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $813 per month in Mahajanga vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Mahajanga $813
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,069 per month in Mahajanga vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,069
Nosara $3,712

Mahajanga is about 70% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mahajanga sits 58% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,027

$12.22 ₡5,509

-83.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-69.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$0.69 MGA 3,104

$4.31 ₡1,941

-83.99%

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

$0.93 MGA 4,169

$1.72 ₡773

-45.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,013

$1.35 ₡608

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 MGA 4,710

$3.24 ₡1,459

-67.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MGA 7,211

$4.48 ₡2,018

-64.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MGA 6,053

$1.57 ₡707

-14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MGA 3,900

$3.17 ₡1,429

-72.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,880

$2.42 ₡1,091

-73.55%

Eggs

$2.23 MGA 9,963

$3.57 ₡1,609

-37.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

$7.43 ₡3,349

-7.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

$10.42 ₡4,697

-34.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-72.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 MGA 4,990

$2.32 ₡1,044

-51.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,765

$1.61 ₡728

-61.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,109

$4.74 ₡2,138

-85.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,146

$1.66 ₡747

-57.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 MGA 2,382

$3.72 ₡1,679

-85.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,333

$3.57 ₡1,611

-85.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,574

$1.10 ₡497

-68.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MGA 2,657

$2.55 ₡1,149

-76.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-53.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MGA 3,518

$2.79 ₡1,256

-71.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MGA 4,245

$3.53 ₡1,589

-73.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,020

$1.19 ₡537

-80.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 5,996

$1.57 ₡708

-14.65%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-52.16%

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

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-80.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-55.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-74.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 MGA 1.5M

$786 ₡354.3K

-57.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MGA 1.2M

$780 ₡351.6K

-64.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MGA 3.1M

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-82.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 MGA 2.0M

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-68.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

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 Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Mahajanga versus $786 in Nosara. 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 $18.00 in Mahajanga versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $350 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

05:34 5:34 AM

9 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

4,912

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 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 MGA in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mahajanga Nosara 14,780 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
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

Mahajanga vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 230% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $835 per month in Mahajanga and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, 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 $557 in Mahajanga and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 230%.

Groceries cost about 131% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mahajanga costs $557 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Mahajanga. 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.