Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroua and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroua: $352 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Maroua

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$352

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $352 in Maroua versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Maroua $352
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $522 in Maroua versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Maroua $522
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $693 in Maroua versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Maroua $693
Nosara $3,818

Living in Maroua costs roughly 81% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maroua is 74% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

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

$1.74 ₡780

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 FCFA 970

$1.56 ₡701

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 FCFA 505

$3.02 ₡1,355

-71.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 FCFA 1,723

$2.51 ₡1,125

17.53%

Eggs

$5.80 FCFA 3,380

$3.57 ₡1,603

62.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.21 FCFA 3,040

$7.43 ₡3,333

-29.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.99 FCFA 2,912

$10.52 ₡4,717

-52.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.33 FCFA 1,941

$13.97 ₡6,265

-76.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 FCFA 1,018

$2.35 ₡1,052

-25.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 FCFA 482

$1.61 ₡720

-48.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 FCFA 511

$4.80 ₡2,152

-81.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 FCFA 967

$1.61 ₡724

3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 FCFA 1,458

$3.80 ₡1,703

-34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 FCFA 1,009

$3.69 ₡1,657

-53.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 FCFA 506

$2.66 ₡1,191

-67.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 FCFA 6,416

$19.88 ₡8,916

-44.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 FCFA 480

$2.90 ₡1,300

-71.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 FCFA 1,016

$3.63 ₡1,626

-52.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$52.0 FCFA 30.3K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-46.00%

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

$8.74 FCFA 5,095

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-75.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-76.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.71 FCFA 999

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-95.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 FCFA 50.4K

$794 ₡356.2K

-89.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 FCFA 90.4K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-89.07%

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)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Maroua: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maroua

–

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Groceries & Markets

Maroua

–

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Eating Out

Maroua

–

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maroua

–

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Maroua

–

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Maroua

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Maroua

–

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Good to know

🇨🇲 Maroua

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

17:37 5:37 PM

7 h behind Maroua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,119,000

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 = 2.23 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 583 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Maroua Nosara 10,880 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Maroua
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

Maroua vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maroua is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 423% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $528 in Maroua 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $352 per month in Maroua versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 423% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $352 in Maroua versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maroua but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Maroua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maroua 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, Maroua 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 Maroua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 423% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.