Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mosta and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,055 in Mosta, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mosta outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Mosta
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,055
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,055 per month in Mosta vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Mosta $2,055
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,080 per month in Mosta vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Mosta $3,080
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,105 per month in Mosta vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Mosta $4,105
  • Nosara $3,818

Mosta costs about 12% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mosta and Nosara sit above the global median – Mosta by 52%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mosta
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.94 €15.07
$12.35 ₡5,539
37.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.5 €79.6
$61.2 ₡27.4K
46.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.46 €11.08
$7.52 ₡3,373
65.69%
Cappuccino
$2.37 €2.11
$4.41 ₡1,978
-46.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.74 ₡780
20.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.31 ₡587
-12.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.28 ₡1,471
-15.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.00 €4.44
$4.47 ₡2,004
11.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mosta
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.56 ₡701
-12.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.25
$3.02 ₡1,355
-53.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.55 €3.16
$2.51 ₡1,125
41.43%
Eggs
$3.27 €2.91
$3.57 ₡1,603
-8.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.51 €9.34
$7.43 ₡3,333
41.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.17 €10.83
$10.52 ₡4,717
15.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.33 €10.08
$13.97 ₡6,265
-18.90%
Apples (1kg)
$3.87 €3.44
$2.35 ₡1,052
64.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$1.61 ₡720
67.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.00 €1.78
$4.80 ₡2,152
-58.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.70 €3.29
$1.61 ₡724
129.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.62 €1.44
$3.80 ₡1,703
-57.37%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$3.69 ₡1,657
-30.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.13 ₡507
100.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 €0.56
$2.66 ₡1,191
-76.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.16 €5.48
$5.18 ₡2,321
18.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.08 €5.41
$19.88 ₡8,916
-69.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 €1.07
$2.90 ₡1,300
-58.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 €2.05
$3.63 ₡1,626
-36.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Mosta
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.74 €2.44
$1.12 ₡504
144.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.97 €3.53
$2.14 ₡958
85.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 €1.64
$1.57 ₡703
17.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.13 €25.03
$8.52 ₡3,823
230.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.52 ₡682
1.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.7K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
28.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.1K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
11.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosta
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 €106
$96.3 ₡43.2K
23.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.03 €22.26
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-30.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.18 €25.96
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-45.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mosta
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.9 €66.6
$71.6 ₡32.1K
4.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.39 €29.70
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-4.35%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 €9.91
$7.89 ₡3,539
41.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mosta
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$277 €246
$494 ₡221.6K
-43.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K €10.7K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
1.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mosta
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.0 €50.7
$53.9 ₡24.2K
5.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.3 €60.8
$55.4 ₡24.8K
23.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €98.6
$77.9 ₡34.9K
42.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €116
$79.6 ₡35.7K
64.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mosta
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,206 €1,073
$788 ₡353.4K
53.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,064 €947
$794 ₡356.2K
34.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,000 €1,779
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-49.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,635 €1,454
$1,419 ₡636.5K
15.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mosta
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,767 €1,571
$864 ₡387.3K
104.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.05
8.62
-53.02%

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

Last update for Mosta: 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
Mosta
$1.1K
Nosara
$794 25.4% $270
Groceries & Markets
Mosta
$293
Nosara
$352 20.4% $60
Eating Out
Mosta
$238
Nosara
$212 11.1% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosta
$173
Nosara
$186 7.4% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Mosta
$165
Nosara
$120 27.3% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Mosta
$97
Nosara
$87 10.1% $9.8
Getting Around
Mosta
$24 *
Nosara
$87 261% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,206 in Mosta 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 105% higher in Mosta, 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 $90.0 in Mosta versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Mosta vs $352 in Nosara – so Mosta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Mosta
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
12:59 12:59 PM
04:59 4:59 AM
8 h behind Mosta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,241
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mosta Nosara 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mosta
  • 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
Mosta vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mosta and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,055 in Mosta, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Mosta compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,082 per month in Mosta 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 Mosta 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 $90.0 in Mosta and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Mosta – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
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 Mosta at $2,055. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mosta it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mosta and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,055 in Mosta. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Mosta 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 Mosta and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mosta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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