Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malabo and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $673 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$673

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $673 per month in Malabo vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Malabo $673
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Malabo vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Malabo $1,117
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Malabo vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Malabo $1,560
Nosara $3,712

Malabo is about 63% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malabo sits 50% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.70 FCFA 5,088

$12.22 ₡5,509

-28.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 FCFA 40.7K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

15.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 FCFA 5,060

$7.54 ₡3,399

14.72%

Cappuccino

$4.79 FCFA 2,804

$4.31 ₡1,941

11.14%

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

$0.84 FCFA 491

$1.72 ₡773

-51.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 FCFA 240

$1.35 ₡608

-69.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 FCFA 989

$3.24 ₡1,459

-47.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 FCFA 1,596

$1.57 ₡707

73.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 FCFA 1,025

$2.42 ₡1,091

-27.69%

Eggs

$3.70 FCFA 2,165

$3.57 ₡1,609

3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.75 FCFA 3,948

$7.43 ₡3,349

-9.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 FCFA 3,522

$10.42 ₡4,697

-42.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 FCFA 4,142

$13.66 ₡6,156

-48.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 FCFA 1,385

$2.32 ₡1,044

2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 FCFA 1,027

$1.61 ₡728

9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 FCFA 2,615

$4.95 ₡2,232

-9.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 FCFA 822

$2.79 ₡1,256

-49.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 FCFA 521

$3.53 ₡1,589

-74.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 FCFA 1,020

$1.19 ₡537

46.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.67 FCFA 15.6K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-62.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 FCFA 485

$2.24 ₡1,011

-62.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 FCFA 528

$1.55 ₡701

-41.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 FCFA 5,103

$8.86 ₡3,993

-1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$32.6K FCFA 19.1M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

49.35%

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

$29.1K FCFA 17.0M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-16.08%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$17.56 FCFA 10.3K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-49.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.07 FCFA 9,986

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-66.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.14 FCFA 20.0K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-52.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 FCFA 8,685

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-58.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 FCFA 3,173

$7.84 ₡3,535

-30.87%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$344 FCFA 201.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-97.10%

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)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 FCFA 130.4K

$780 ₡351.6K

-71.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 FCFA 202.3K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-91.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 FCFA 166.7K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-79.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$841 FCFA 492.3K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-87.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$648 FCFA 378.9K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-46.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

8.62

-21.11%

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

Last update for Malabo: 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

Malabo

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Malabo

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Malabo

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malabo

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Malabo

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Malabo

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Malabo

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Malabo versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $152 in Malabo vs $350 in Nosara – so Malabo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇶 Malabo

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:58 1:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

7 h behind Malabo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,000 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 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 XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malabo Nosara 10,420 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Malabo
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

Malabo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $673 in Malabo, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 173% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,009 per month in Malabo and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 170% less in Malabo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 130% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malabo, where all-in costs run around $673, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Malabo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $673 in Malabo to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Malabo. 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.