Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracay and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $729 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
Learn more

Maracay Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$729

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $729 per month in Maracay vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Maracay $729
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,242 per month in Maracay vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Maracay $1,242
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,755 per month in Maracay vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Maracay $1,755
Nosara $3,712

Maracay is about 60% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Maracay sits 46% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 VES 4,240

$12.22 ₡5,509

-60.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.14 VES 28.9K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-44.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 VES 6,660

$7.54 ₡3,399

1.19%

Cappuccino

$1.68 VES 1,470

$4.31 ₡1,941

-61.02%

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

$1.17 VES 1,022

$1.72 ₡773

-31.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 VES 1,052

$1.35 ₡608

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 VES 1,074

$3.24 ₡1,459

-62.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 VES 2,637

$4.48 ₡2,018

-32.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 VES 2,343

$1.57 ₡707

70.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 VES 2,003

$3.17 ₡1,429

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 VES 899

$2.42 ₡1,091

-57.44%

Eggs

$2.62 VES 2,291

$3.57 ₡1,609

-26.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.53 VES 5,702

$7.43 ₡3,349

-12.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 VES 5,010

$10.42 ₡4,697

-44.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 VES 7,457

$13.66 ₡6,156

-37.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 VES 3,734

$2.32 ₡1,044

84.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 VES 1,720

$1.61 ₡728

22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 VES 1,935

$4.74 ₡2,138

-53.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 VES 2,066

$1.66 ₡747

42.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 VES 2,024

$3.72 ₡1,679

-37.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 VES 1,918

$3.57 ₡1,611

-38.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 VES 1,384

$1.10 ₡497

43.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 VES 2,011

$2.55 ₡1,149

-9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 VES 2,170

$4.95 ₡2,232

-49.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 VES 8,865

$20.01 ₡9,020

-49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 VES 1,016

$2.79 ₡1,256

-58.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 VES 1,485

$3.53 ₡1,589

-51.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 VES 418

$1.19 ₡537

-59.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.78 VES 17.3K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-72.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 VES 2,572

$2.24 ₡1,011

31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 VES 2,365

$1.55 ₡701

74.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 VES 8,748

$8.86 ₡3,993

12.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 VES 602

$1.57 ₡708

-56.05%

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

$25.2K VES 22.0M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

15.46%

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

$38.5K VES 33.7M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

11.27%

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

$12.43 VES 10.9K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-86.70%

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

$11.57 VES 10.1K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-67.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.31 VES 33.5K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-25.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.71 VES 26.0K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-58.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 VES 13.0K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-57.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 VES 3,564

$7.84 ₡3,535

-47.96%

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

$74.6 VES 65.2K

$490 ₡220.7K

-84.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,979 VES 5.2M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-49.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 VES 45.7K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-2.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.16 VES 32.5K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-33.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 VES 72.5K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

4.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.6 VES 81.7K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

18.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 VES 199.2K

$786 ₡354.3K

-70.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 VES 94.6K

$780 ₡351.6K

-86.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 VES 496.8K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-85.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 VES 242.7K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-80.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$448 VES 391.3K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-93.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$198 VES 172.6K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-83.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 VES 183.0K

$876 ₡395.0K

-76.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

8.62

149.42%

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

Last update for Maracay: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maracay

$267 36.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 30.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Maracay

$120 16.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 0.5% $0.6

Accommodation & Living

Maracay

$108 14.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 620% $672

Eating Out

Maracay

$104 14.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 102% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maracay

$62 8.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 189% $118

Getting Around

Maracay

$38 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 128% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Maracay

$38 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 130% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $228 in Maracay 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.

Salaries run about 318% 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 $33.00 in Maracay versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $350 – making Maracay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Maracay

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

19:38 7:38 PM

2 h behind Maracay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,606

4,912

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 873 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 979 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Maracay Nosara 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Maracay
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

Maracay vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 152% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,093 per month in Maracay 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 Maracay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Maracay and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maracay, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Maracay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maracay costs $729 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 Maracay. 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.