Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazar-i-Sharif and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $297 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
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Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$297

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Mazar-i-Sharif $297
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $470 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Mazar-i-Sharif $470
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $643 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Mazar-i-Sharif $643
Nosara $3,712

Living in Mazar-i-Sharif costs roughly 84% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mazar-i-Sharif is 78% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.31 ؋149

$12.22 ₡5,509

-81.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.68 ؋1,015

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-73.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ؋252

$7.54 ₡3,399

-48.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 ؋487

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 ؋503

Cappuccino

$1.19 ؋77.3

$4.31 ₡1,941

-72.39%

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

$0.56 ؋36.07

$1.72 ₡773

-67.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.97

$1.35 ₡608

-76.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$0.60 ؋38.87

$1.57 ₡707

-61.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 ؋9.41

$3.17 ₡1,429

-95.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ؋139

$2.42 ₡1,091

-11.16%

Eggs

$1.59 ؋103

$3.57 ₡1,609

-55.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 ؋513

$7.43 ₡3,349

6.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ؋218

$10.42 ₡4,697

-67.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 ؋404

$13.66 ₡6,156

-54.39%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ؋38.23

$2.32 ₡1,044

-74.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ؋76.0

$1.61 ₡728

-27.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 ؋52.6

$4.74 ₡2,138

-82.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.57

$1.66 ₡747

-63.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ؋33.06

$3.72 ₡1,679

-86.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ؋25.83

$3.57 ₡1,611

-88.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ؋33.75

$1.10 ₡497

-52.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.76

$2.55 ₡1,149

-87.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋118

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 ؋101

$4.95 ₡2,232

-68.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 ؋52.0

$1.19 ₡537

-32.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ؋98.7

$8.86 ₡3,993

-82.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ؋96.3

$1.57 ₡708

-5.10%

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

$9,933 ؋643.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-54.44%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$83.8 ؋5,425

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-10.37%

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

$16.94 ؋1,097

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-51.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.69 ؋757

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-83.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.91 ؋253

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-88.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ؋306

$7.84 ₡3,535

-39.80%

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

$78.1 ؋5,058

$490 ₡220.7K

-84.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.14 ؋851

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-75.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.75 ؋1,214

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-76.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 ؋15.0K

$876 ₡395.0K

-73.65%

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mazar-i-Sharif

$106 36.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 229% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazar-i-Sharif

$101 * 34.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 78.8% $79

Eating Out

Mazar-i-Sharif

$48 16.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 337% $161

Sport & Entertainment

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 312% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 739% $106

Getting Around

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 2606% $84

Accommodation & Living

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 280% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $106 vs $350 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

20:58 8:58 PM

10 h 30 min behind Mazar-i-Sharif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,600

4,912

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.64 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mazar-i-Sharif Nosara 14,090 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mazar-i-Sharif
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

Mazar-i-Sharif vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 519% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 280% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 229% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $297 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 519% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mazar-i-Sharif 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, Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 519% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.