Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manakara and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $397 per month in Manakara vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Manakara $397
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $609 per month in Manakara vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Manakara $609
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $821 per month in Manakara vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Manakara $821
Nosara $3,818

Manakara is about 78% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Manakara sits 71% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-81.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.63 MGA 66.8K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-76.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.44 MGA 15.7K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-54.26%

Cappuccino

$1.15 MGA 5,250

$4.41 ₡1,978

-73.92%

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

$0.62 MGA 2,806

$1.74 ₡780

-64.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MGA 2,584

$1.31 ₡587

-56.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 MGA 5,215

$3.28 ₡1,471

-65.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MGA 6,505

$4.47 ₡2,004

-68.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MGA 8,189

$1.56 ₡701

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MGA 4,627

$3.02 ₡1,355

-66.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 MGA 3,140

$2.51 ₡1,125

-72.51%

Eggs

$2.34 MGA 10.7K

$3.57 ₡1,603

-34.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 MGA 29.2K

$7.43 ₡3,333

-13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 MGA 15.1K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-68.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.51 MGA 16.0K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-74.87%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 MGA 4,313

$2.35 ₡1,052

-59.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,268

$1.61 ₡720

-55.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.35 MGA 1,586

$4.80 ₡2,152

-92.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,294

$1.61 ₡724

-55.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,456

$3.80 ₡1,703

-85.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,433

$3.69 ₡1,657

-79.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,566

$1.13 ₡507

-69.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MGA 2,887

$2.66 ₡1,191

-76.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.43 MGA 6,513

$5.18 ₡2,321

-72.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.52 MGA 20.6K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-77.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MGA 4,660

$2.90 ₡1,300

-64.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MGA 5,918

$3.63 ₡1,626

-64.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,051

$1.12 ₡504

-79.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.89 MGA 159.1K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-51.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MGA 4,995

$2.14 ₡958

-48.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 MGA 10.0K

$1.57 ₡703

40.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 MGA 15.2K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-60.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 MGA 5,215

$1.52 ₡682

-25.00%

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

$15.7K MGA 71.5M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-27.46%

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

$20.1K MGA 91.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-41.86%

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

$42.27 MGA 192.8K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-56.10%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 MGA 243.0K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.44 MGA 52.2K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-84.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$22.50 MGA 102.6K

$494 ₡221.6K

-95.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.28 MGA 74.2K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-69.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.38 MGA 93.0K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-63.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.83 MGA 204.5K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-42.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.59 MGA 208.0K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-42.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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)

$115 MGA 524.9K

$864 ₡387.3K

-86.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

178.42%

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

Last update for Manakara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manakara

$129 32.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 172% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manakara

$96 * 24.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 94.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Manakara

$57 14.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 110% $63

Eating Out

Manakara

$55 13.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 283% $157

Getting Around

Manakara

$48 12.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 81.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Manakara

$11 * 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 664% $76

Accommodation & Living

Manakara

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 650% 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 $15.00 in Manakara versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $129 vs $352 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Manakara

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

22:28 10:28 PM

9 h behind Manakara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,237

4,912

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 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).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manakara Nosara 14,900 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Manakara
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

Manakara vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 363%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $595 per month in Manakara and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $22.50 per month in Manakara and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 172% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Manakara, where all-in costs run around $397, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Manakara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manakara – 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 Manakara. 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.