Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $492 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$492

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $492 in Mardan versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Mardan $492
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $768 in Mardan versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Mardan $768
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,045 in Mardan versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Mardan $1,045
Nosara $3,818

Living in Mardan costs roughly 73% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mardan is 64% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 PKR 980

$12.35 ₡5,539

-71.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.75 PKR 6,572

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-61.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,506

$7.52 ₡3,373

-27.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 PKR 1,023

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 PKR 1,885

Cappuccino

$2.72 PKR 753

$4.41 ₡1,978

-38.32%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$1.74 ₡780

-81.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.8

$1.31 ₡587

-82.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 PKR 252

$1.56 ₡701

-41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 199

$3.02 ₡1,355

-76.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$2.51 ₡1,125

-49.00%

Eggs

$1.16 PKR 320

$3.57 ₡1,603

-67.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.82 PKR 781

$7.43 ₡3,333

-62.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 870

$10.52 ₡4,717

-70.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.89 PKR 1,076

$13.97 ₡6,265

-72.15%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 PKR 258

$2.35 ₡1,052

-60.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.61 ₡720

-55.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 296

$4.80 ₡2,152

-77.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 104

$1.61 ₡724

-76.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.8

$3.80 ₡1,703

-92.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.1

$3.69 ₡1,657

-90.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$1.13 ₡507

-75.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 103

$2.66 ₡1,191

-86.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 495

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PKR 651

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 507

$5.18 ₡2,321

-64.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.24

$1.12 ₡504

-85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.19 PKR 2,821

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-85.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$2.14 ₡958

-41.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 192

$1.57 ₡703

-56.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 PKR 436

$8.52 ₡3,823

-81.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 PKR 292

$1.52 ₡682

-30.26%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

0.72%

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

$24.6K PKR 6.8M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.70%

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

$101 PKR 27.9K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

4.53%

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

$5.88 PKR 1,628

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-83.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.89 PKR 4,674

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-68.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.54 PKR 4,578

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-76.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 PKR 1,978

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-79.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,224

$7.89 ₡3,539

-43.98%

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

$75.8 PKR 21.0K

$494 ₡221.6K

-84.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,028 PKR 284.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-91.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.76 PKR 7,131

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-52.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 PKR 9,537

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-37.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 PKR 26.2K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

21.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.80 PKR 11.3K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 PKR 35.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

-83.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.6 PKR 20.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-90.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 PKR 69.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-93.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 PKR 41.3K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-89.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$830 PKR 229.7K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-87.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$443 PKR 122.7K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-63.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

8.62

51.74%

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

Last update for Mardan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$123 25.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 50.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$88 17.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 36.4% $32

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$84 17.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 319% $268

Eating Out

Mardan

$80 16.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 167% $132

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$76 15.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 950% $719

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$25 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 244% $62

Getting Around

Mardan

$16 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 461% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $127 in Mardan and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Mardan vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $84.0 vs $352 per month, with Mardan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

19:56 7:56 PM

11 h behind Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

4,912

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 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 PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mardan Nosara 14,570 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mardan
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

Mardan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. The 274% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $737 in Mardan and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $127 in Mardan versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $75.8 in Mardan versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 319% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $492 in Mardan versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mardan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mardan and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 274% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.