Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazatlan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazatlan: $1,436 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Mazatlan
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Mazatlan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Mazatlan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,436

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,436 per month in Mazatlan vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Mazatlan $1,436
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,041 per month in Mazatlan vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Mazatlan $2,041
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,645 per month in Mazatlan vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Mazatlan $2,645
Nosara $3,712

Mazatlan is about 22% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mazatlan and Nosara sit above the global median – Mazatlan by 7%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 MX$199

$12.22 ₡5,509

-10.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.29 MX$842

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-23.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.37 MX$152

$7.54 ₡3,399

11.01%

Cappuccino

$3.40 MX$61.8

$4.31 ₡1,941

-21.11%

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

$1.45 MX$26.29

$1.72 ₡773

-15.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$19.94

$1.35 ₡608

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 MX$38.67

$3.24 ₡1,459

-34.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$51.5

$4.48 ₡2,018

-36.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$29.86

$1.57 ₡707

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 MX$47.05

$3.17 ₡1,429

-18.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MX$24.22

$2.42 ₡1,091

-45.04%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$49.92

$3.57 ₡1,609

-23.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$147

$7.43 ₡3,349

8.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 MX$126

$10.42 ₡4,697

-33.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 MX$140

$13.66 ₡6,156

-43.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$49.43

$2.32 ₡1,044

17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$30.88

$1.61 ₡728

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 MX$29.51

$4.74 ₡2,138

-65.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 MX$9.43

$1.66 ₡747

-68.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$29.72

$3.72 ₡1,679

-56.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MX$24.89

$3.57 ₡1,611

-61.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 MX$29.17

$1.10 ₡497

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$76.4

$4.95 ₡2,232

-15.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.98 MX$291

$20.01 ₡9,020

-20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$36.89

$2.79 ₡1,256

-27.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$56.2

$3.53 ₡1,589

-12.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.60

$1.19 ₡537

-42.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.84 MX$761

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-41.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 MX$67.4

$2.24 ₡1,011

65.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 MX$44.58

$1.55 ₡701

58.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$27.91

$1.57 ₡708

-2.55%

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

$21.4K MX$389.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-1.83%

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

$24.8K MX$450.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-28.45%

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

$59.0 MX$1,074

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-36.82%

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

$46.93 MX$854

$35.11 ₡15.8K

33.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.53 MX$792

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-15.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.05 MX$819

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-36.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 MX$79.9

$7.84 ₡3,535

-44.01%

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

$88.4 MX$1,609

$490 ₡220.7K

-81.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,007 MX$36.5K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-83.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 MX$1,162

$53.5 ₡24.1K

19.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.58 MX$502

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-50.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,036

$79.3 ₡35.7K

41.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 MX$1,530

$78.9 ₡35.6K

6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 MX$14.3K

$786 ₡354.3K

0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 MX$11.3K

$780 ₡351.6K

-20.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 MX$22.6K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-67.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 MX$15.3K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-40.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,579 MX$28.7K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-77.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,051 MX$19.1K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-12.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 MX$9,694

$876 ₡395.0K

-39.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

8.62

34.57%

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

Last update for Mazatlan: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mazatlan

$619 43.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 26% $161

Groceries & Markets

Mazatlan

$236 * 16.5%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 48.3% $114

Eating Out

Mazatlan

$180 12.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 16.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazatlan

$150 10.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 20.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Mazatlan

$129 9.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 7% $9

Getting Around

Mazatlan

$61 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 43.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mazatlan

$54 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 61.7% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Mazatlan 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 64% 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 $46.00 in Mazatlan versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $350 – making Mazatlan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mazatlan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

01:13 1:13 AM

1 h ahead of Mazatlan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

441,975

4,912

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 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 MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mazatlan Nosara 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mazatlan
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

Mazatlan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,436 in Mazatlan, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,155 per month in Mazatlan 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 Mazatlan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Mazatlan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $88.4 per month in Mazatlan and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mazatlan, where all-in costs run around $1,436, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Mazatlan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,436 in Mazatlan to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mazatlan. 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.