Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makhachkala and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,009 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,009
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,562 per month in Makhachkala vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,562
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,115 per month in Makhachkala vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Makhachkala $2,115
Nosara $3,818

Makhachkala is about 45% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Makhachkala sits 25% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₽851

$12.35 ₡5,539

-17.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.73 ₽2,648

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-48.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 ₽457

$7.52 ₡3,373

-27.13%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₽221

$4.41 ₡1,978

-39.91%

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

$1.17 ₽98.0

$1.74 ₡780

-32.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$1.31 ₡587

-53.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ₽162

$3.28 ₡1,471

-40.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₽246

$4.47 ₡2,004

-34.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽91.6

$1.56 ₡701

-29.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽58.9

$3.02 ₡1,355

-76.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ₽118

$2.51 ₡1,125

-43.82%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽127

$3.57 ₡1,603

-57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 ₽917

$7.43 ₡3,333

47.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 ₽450

$10.52 ₡4,717

-48.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ₽921

$13.97 ₡6,265

-21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$2.35 ₡1,052

-27.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.61 ₡720

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$4.80 ₡2,152

-63.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₽232

$1.61 ₡724

72.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$3.80 ₡1,703

-78.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$3.69 ₡1,657

-83.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.13 ₡507

8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.8

$2.66 ₡1,191

-72.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₽278

$5.18 ₡2,321

-35.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 ₽661

$19.88 ₡8,916

-60.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₽91.4

$2.90 ₡1,300

-62.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₽168

$3.63 ₡1,626

-44.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽44.80

$1.12 ₡504

-51.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ₽225

$2.14 ₡958

26.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ₽33.48

$1.57 ₡703

-74.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 ₽477

$8.52 ₡3,823

-32.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽70.2

$1.52 ₡682

-44.74%

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

$41.0K ₽3.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

89.59%

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

$37.4K ₽3.1M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

8.21%

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

$110 ₽9,172

$96.3 ₡43.2K

14.12%

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

$5.49 ₽458

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-84.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.44 ₽705

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-84.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.62 ₽2,973

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-50.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.57 ₽1,967

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-32.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 ₽512

$7.89 ₡3,539

-22.31%

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

$348 ₽29.1K

$494 ₡221.6K

-29.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,288 ₽441.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-55.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 ₽6,688

$53.9 ₡24.2K

48.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 ₽4,518

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-2.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₽8,539

$77.9 ₡34.9K

31.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₽9,353

$79.6 ₡35.7K

40.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₽38.4K

$788 ₡353.4K

-41.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 ₽26.3K

$794 ₡356.2K

-60.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₽74.4K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-77.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 ₽46.4K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-60.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ₽185.8K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-67.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 ₽124.5K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

21.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 ₽51.9K

$864 ₡387.3K

-27.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

8.62

148.84%

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

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makhachkala

$315 31.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 152% $479

Groceries & Markets

Makhachkala

$206 20.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 71.4% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Makhachkala

$157 15.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 23.5% $37

Eating Out

Makhachkala

$153 15.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 38.8% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makhachkala

$124 12.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 50% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Makhachkala

$48 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 82.5% $39

Getting Around

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1172% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Makhachkala 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 39% 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 $32.00 in Makhachkala versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $352 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

03:12 3:12 AM

9 h behind Makhachkala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

604,266

4,912

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makhachkala Nosara 12,450 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Makhachkala
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Makhachkala vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,513 per month in Makhachkala 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 Makhachkala, 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 $1,009 in Makhachkala and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 82%.

Kindergarten costs $348 per month in Makhachkala and $494 in Nosara. 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 Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – 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 Makhachkala. 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.