Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malden, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,463 in Malden, MA, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Malden, MA
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Malden, MA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Malden, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,463

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,463 per month in Malden, MA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Malden, MA $3,463
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,740 per month in Malden, MA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Malden, MA $4,740
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,017 per month in Malden, MA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Malden, MA $6,017
Nosara $3,818

Malden, MA costs about 88% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Malden, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Malden, MA by 157%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$12.35 ₡5,539

61.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 $95.3

$61.2 ₡27.4K

55.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 $13.66

$7.52 ₡3,373

81.65%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$4.41 ₡1,978

22.00%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.74 ₡780

64.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.31 ₡587

71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 $5.79

$3.28 ₡1,471

76.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$4.47 ₡2,004

77.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.56 ₡701

-20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.02 ₡1,355

33.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.51 ₡1,125

119.92%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.57 ₡1,603

35.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 $12.09

$7.43 ₡3,333

62.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.41 $14.41

$10.52 ₡4,717

36.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$13.97 ₡6,265

27.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$2.35 ₡1,052

182.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.61 ₡720

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$4.80 ₡2,152

11.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$1.61 ₡724

248.45%

Potato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.80 ₡1,703

16.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.69 ₡1,657

-50.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.13 ₡507

142.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.66 ₡1,191

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 $12.37

$5.18 ₡2,321

138.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$19.88 ₡8,916

-31.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.90 ₡1,300

-27.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.63 ₡1,626

56.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.12 ₡504

118.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 $90.6

$72.6 ₡32.6K

24.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.14 ₡958

24.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.57 ₡703

12.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.97 $27.97

$8.52 ₡3,823

228.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.52 ₡682

-28.29%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

67.45%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.47%

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

$240 $240

$96.3 ₡43.2K

149.24%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$35.89 ₡16.1K

50.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.4 $86.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

61.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.09 $35.09

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-50.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 $15.69

$7.89 ₡3,539

98.86%

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

$1,834 $1,834

$494 ₡221.6K

271.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

156.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$53.9 ₡24.2K

6.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 $38.48

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-30.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 $99.8

$79.6 ₡35.7K

25.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 $2,427

$788 ₡353.4K

208.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 $1,997

$794 ₡356.2K

151.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,439 $3,439

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-12.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 $2,763

$1,419 ₡636.5K

94.66%

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)

$4,638 $4,638

$864 ₡387.3K

437.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Malden, MA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malden, MA

$2K 57.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 60.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Malden, MA

$453 13.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 22.3% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malden, MA

$381 11%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 51.2% $195

Eating Out

Malden, MA

$330 9.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 35.9% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Malden, MA

$124 3.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3% $3.7

Getting Around

Malden, MA

$112 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 22.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Malden, MA

$66 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 31.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,427 in Malden, MA 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 437% higher in Malden, MA, 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 $95.0 in Malden, MA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $453 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Malden, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

2 h behind Malden, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,450

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

Lowest

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Between locations

Malden, MA Nosara 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Malden, MA
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

Malden, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Malden, MA is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,194 per month in Malden, MA 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,834 per month in Malden, MA and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Malden, MA at $3,463. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malden, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malden, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.