Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mercedes and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mercedes: $1,293 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Mercedes
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Mercedes Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mercedes

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,293

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Mercedes vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Mercedes $1,293
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,970 per month in Mercedes vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Mercedes $1,970
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Mercedes vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Mercedes $2,647
Nosara $3,818

Mercedes is about 30% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Mercedes sits 4% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 UYU 595

$12.35 ₡5,539

20.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 UYU 2,501

$61.2 ₡27.4K

1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.30 UYU 574

$7.52 ₡3,373

90.16%

Cappuccino

$2.52 UYU 101

$4.41 ₡1,978

-42.86%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.74 ₡780

56.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 UYU 37.27

$1.31 ₡587

-29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 UYU 102

$3.28 ₡1,471

-22.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 UYU 153

$4.47 ₡2,004

-14.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 UYU 53.2

$1.56 ₡701

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$3.02 ₡1,355

-4.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 UYU 58.4

$2.51 ₡1,125

-42.23%

Eggs

$2.79 UYU 112

$3.57 ₡1,603

-21.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 UYU 560

$7.43 ₡3,333

87.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 UYU 477

$10.52 ₡4,717

12.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.56 UYU 304

$13.97 ₡6,265

-45.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 UYU 80.7

$2.35 ₡1,052

-14.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 UYU 101

$1.61 ₡720

55.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 UYU 43.65

$4.80 ₡2,152

-77.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 UYU 119

$1.61 ₡724

83.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 UYU 79.4

$3.80 ₡1,703

-47.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 UYU 86.0

$3.69 ₡1,657

-42.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 UYU 54.0

$1.13 ₡507

18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 UYU 68.8

$2.66 ₡1,191

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 UYU 203

$5.18 ₡2,321

-2.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 UYU 359

$19.88 ₡8,916

-54.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 UYU 92.8

$2.90 ₡1,300

-20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 UYU 111

$3.63 ₡1,626

-23.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.2

$2.14 ₡958

-14.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 UYU 17.54

$1.57 ₡703

-71.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.48 UYU 421

$8.52 ₡3,823

23.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.3

$1.52 ₡682

46.05%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

23.86%

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

$37.1K UYU 1.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

7.45%

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

$191 UYU 7,680

$96.3 ₡43.2K

98.72%

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

$21.03 UYU 844

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-41.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.67 UYU 1,793

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-16.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$12.15 UYU 488

$7.89 ₡3,539

53.99%

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

$494 ₡221.6K

24.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 435.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-8.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,192

$53.9 ₡24.2K

93.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,250

$55.4 ₡24.8K

1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,005

$77.9 ₡34.9K

60.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 UYU 5,255

$79.6 ₡35.7K

64.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 UYU 23.3K

$788 ₡353.4K

-26.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 UYU 11.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-62.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 UYU 24.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-84.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 UYU 17.9K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-68.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,032 UYU 121.7K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-56.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 UYU 80.5K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

63.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.62

-33.41%

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

Last update for Mercedes: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mercedes

$298 23.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 18% $54

Accommodation & Living

Mercedes

$296 22.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 169% $499

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mercedes

$257 19.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 27.7% $71

Eating Out

Mercedes

$227 17.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 6.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Mercedes

$187 14.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 35.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Mercedes

$24 * 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 259% $63

Getting Around

Mercedes

$4 * 0.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 2072% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $581 in Mercedes 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Mercedes versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Mercedes vs $352 in Nosara – so Mercedes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Mercedes

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

19:43 7:43 PM

3 h behind Mercedes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,975

4,912

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 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 UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mercedes Nosara 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mercedes
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

Mercedes vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 42% more than Mercedes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Mercedes and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mercedes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Mercedes and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mercedes, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Mercedes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mercedes costs $1,293 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Mercedes. 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.