Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mataro and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Mataro and in Nosara: $1,845 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

Mataro
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,845
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,845 per month in Mataro vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Mataro $1,845
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,691 per month in Mataro vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Mataro $2,691
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,536 per month in Mataro vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Mataro $3,536
  • Nosara $3,818

Mataro and Nosara have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Mataro and Nosara sit above the global median – Mataro by 37%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mataro
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.49 €14.67
$12.35 ₡5,539
33.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.6 €50.3
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-7.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.31 €11.84
$7.52 ₡3,373
76.99%
Cappuccino
$2.11 €1.88
$4.41 ₡1,978
-52.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.06
$1.74 ₡780
33.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.31 ₡587
47.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.88 €3.45
$3.28 ₡1,471
18.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 €2.93
$4.47 ₡2,004
-26.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mataro
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.56 ₡701
-25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.99 €1.77
$3.02 ₡1,355
-34.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.33
$2.51 ₡1,125
-40.24%
Eggs
$3.90 €3.47
$3.57 ₡1,603
9.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.84 €14.98
$7.43 ₡3,333
126.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.84 €7.86
$10.52 ₡4,717
-15.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.92 €17.72
$13.97 ₡6,265
42.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.71 €2.41
$2.35 ₡1,052
15.32%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 €1.81
$1.61 ₡720
26.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.59 €2.30
$4.80 ₡2,152
-46.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.74 €2.44
$1.61 ₡724
70.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 €1.79
$3.80 ₡1,703
-47.11%
Onion (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.69 ₡1,657
-38.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.13 ₡507
35.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$2.66 ₡1,191
-66.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.32 €5.62
$5.18 ₡2,321
22.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.43 €4.83
$19.88 ₡8,916
-72.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$2.90 ₡1,300
-60.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.03
$3.63 ₡1,626
-36.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Mataro
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 €2.28
$1.12 ₡504
129.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.25 €31.35
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-51.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.31 €2.06
$2.14 ₡958
7.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.91
$1.57 ₡703
-35.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.23 €25.99
$8.52 ₡3,823
243.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.52 ₡682
17.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K €30.7K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
59.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-17.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mataro
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$181 €161
$96.3 ₡43.2K
87.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.10 €10.77
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-66.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.95 €25.75
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-45.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mataro
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.7 €54.0
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-15.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.94 €12.40
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-60.07%
Cinema Ticket
$10.51 €9.35
$7.89 ₡3,539
33.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mataro
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$498 €443
$494 ₡221.6K
0.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,969 €7,088
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-32.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mataro
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.2 €77.6
$53.9 ₡24.2K
61.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.03 €34.71
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-29.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.8 €86.9
$77.9 ₡34.9K
25.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €99.5
$79.6 ₡35.7K
40.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mataro
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$954 €849
$788 ₡353.4K
21.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$791 €704
$794 ₡356.2K
-0.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,350 €1,200
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-65.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 €1,048
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-16.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,404 €3,028
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-50.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,818 €2,506
$1,224 ₡549.0K
130.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mataro
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,889 €1,680
$864 ₡387.3K
118.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
8.62
-61.95%

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

Last update for Mataro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mataro
$791
Nosara
$794 0.4% $3.1
Groceries & Markets
Mataro
$306
Nosara
$352 15.1% $46
Eating Out
Mataro
$240
Nosara
$212 11.8% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mataro
$222
Nosara
$186 16.2% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Mataro
$151
Nosara
$120 20.5% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Mataro
$82
Nosara
$87 6.9% $5.6
Getting Around
Mataro
$53
Nosara
$87 64.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Mataro 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 119% higher in Mataro. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Mataro versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $352 – making Mataro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Mataro
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
20:02 8:02 PM
12:02 12:02 PM
8 h behind Mataro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
129,870
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mataro Nosara 9,120 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mataro
  • 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
Mataro vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Mataro compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,768 per month in Mataro and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mataro and Nosara?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Mataro and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Mataro and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 106% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Mataro at $1,845. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mataro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mataro and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $1,845 in Mataro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Mataro or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Mataro and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mataro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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