Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meknes and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Meknes: $683 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Meknes
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Meknes Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Meknes

🇲🇦 Morocco

$683

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $683 in Meknes versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Meknes $683
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,051 in Meknes versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Meknes $1,051
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,419 in Meknes versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Meknes $1,419
Nosara $3,818

Living in Meknes costs roughly 63% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Meknes is 49% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.18 MAD 31.03

$12.35 ₡5,539

-74.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.67 MAD 153

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-74.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 MAD 59.2

$7.52 ₡3,373

-19.28%

Cappuccino

$1.21 MAD 11.84

$4.41 ₡1,978

-72.56%

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

$0.90 MAD 8.77

$1.74 ₡780

-48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MAD 4.32

$1.31 ₡587

-66.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MAD 29.86

$3.28 ₡1,471

-6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 MAD 35.72

$4.47 ₡2,004

-18.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 MAD 8.11

$1.56 ₡701

-46.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 MAD 3.78

$3.02 ₡1,355

-87.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MAD 12.62

$2.51 ₡1,125

-48.61%

Eggs

$1.85 MAD 18.03

$3.57 ₡1,603

-48.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.05 MAD 108

$7.43 ₡3,333

48.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 MAD 51.9

$10.52 ₡4,717

-49.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 MAD 89.8

$13.97 ₡6,265

-34.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 MAD 11.74

$2.35 ₡1,052

-48.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MAD 12.91

$1.61 ₡720

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.26

$4.80 ₡2,152

-86.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.03

$1.61 ₡724

-55.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MAD 5.25

$3.80 ₡1,703

-85.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MAD 5.40

$3.69 ₡1,657

-85.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 MAD 4.75

$1.13 ₡507

-56.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MAD 5.37

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MAD 40.42

$5.18 ₡2,321

-19.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 MAD 80.3

$19.88 ₡8,916

-58.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 MAD 23.23

$2.90 ₡1,300

-17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 MAD 25.65

$3.63 ₡1,626

-27.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MAD 3.90

$1.12 ₡504

-64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.76 MAD 154

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-78.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 MAD 6.75

$2.14 ₡958

-67.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MAD 2.91

$1.57 ₡703

-80.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 MAD 43.90

$8.52 ₡3,823

-47.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MAD 13.87

$1.52 ₡682

-6.58%

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

$31.2K MAD 304.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

44.46%

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

$30.9K MAD 301.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-10.47%

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

$31.22 MAD 304

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-67.58%

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

$9.45 MAD 92.2

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-73.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.10 MAD 332

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-36.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.52 MAD 278

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-60.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.68 MAD 319

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-6.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 MAD 40.96

$7.89 ₡3,539

-46.77%

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

$123 MAD 1,202

$494 ₡221.6K

-75.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,616 MAD 54.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-52.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 MAD 591

$53.9 ₡24.2K

12.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.86 MAD 437

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 MAD 909

$77.9 ₡34.9K

19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 MAD 580

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 MAD 2,599

$788 ₡353.4K

-66.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 MAD 1,674

$794 ₡356.2K

-78.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 MAD 4,460

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-88.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MAD 2,802

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-79.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$965 MAD 9,406

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-86.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$603 MAD 5,876

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-50.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$475 MAD 4,632

$864 ₡387.3K

-44.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

8.62

-47.80%

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

Last update for Meknes: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Meknes

$177 26%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 98.8% $175

Accommodation & Living

Meknes

$172 25.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 363% $623

Clothing & Footwear

Meknes

$116 17%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.3% $3.9

Eating Out

Meknes

$86 12.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 146% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meknes

$75 11%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 148% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Meknes

$37 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 137% $50

Getting Around

Meknes

$20 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 346% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $267 in Meknes and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 82% 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 Meknes vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $352 per month, with Meknes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Meknes

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

07:05 7:05 AM

7 h behind Meknes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,428

4,912

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Meknes Nosara 8,480 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Meknes
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

Meknes vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meknes wins on cost – living expenses run 169% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meknes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 82% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $267 in Meknes versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Meknes – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $683 per month in Meknes versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $683 in Meknes versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Meknes but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Meknes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meknes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $683 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meknes hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Meknes 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 Meknes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.