Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ait Melloul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ait Melloul: $667 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Ait Melloul
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Ait Melloul Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ait Melloul

🇲🇦 Morocco

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ait Melloul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Ait Melloul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $667 in Ait Melloul.

Nosara $1,839
Ait Melloul $667

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,027 in Ait Melloul.

Nosara $2,828
Ait Melloul $1,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,386 in Ait Melloul.

Nosara $3,818
Ait Melloul $1,386

Living in Nosara is roughly 175% more expensive than in Ait Melloul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Ait Melloul is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.61 MAD 35.15

242.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.96 MAD 243

145.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.16 MAD 60.1

22.08%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.11 MAD 20.53

109.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.82 MAD 7.95

112.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.57 MAD 5.56

129.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.10 MAD 49.73

-35.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.41 MAD 42.96

1.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.80 MAD 7.81

95.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.54 MAD 5.26

459.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.51 MAD 14.77

66.23%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.62 MAD 15.81

120.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.83 MAD 76.3

-5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.45 MAD 53.2

93.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.79 MAD 115

18.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.25 MAD 12.23

88.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.18 MAD 11.48

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.84 MAD 8.17

471.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.79 MAD 7.75

103.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.71 MAD 6.93

435.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.76 MAD 7.41

385.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.25 MAD 2.44

352.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.56 MAD 5.46

375.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.12 MAD 40.14

25.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.55 MAD 73.6

163.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.33 MAD 22.70

24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.24 MAD 31.61

12.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.57 MAD 5.58

96.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$20.98 MAD 205

246.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.65 MAD 6.34

229.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.60 MAD 5.85

161.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.13 MAD 69.5

19.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.45 MAD 14.16

4.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$33.8K MAD 329.3K

-36.02%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.3K MAD 295.1K

14.03%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$24.40 MAD 238

294.63%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.02 MAD 87.9

297.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$29.62 MAD 289

80.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$23.05 MAD 225

210.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.96 MAD 175

94.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.02 MAD 48.95

57.17%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$69.7 MAD 679

609.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,859 MAD 18.1K

537.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$31.11 MAD 303

73.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$43.52 MAD 424

27.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$59.0 MAD 575

32.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$47.72 MAD 465

66.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$283 MAD 2,758

178.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$173 MAD 1,687

359.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$436 MAD 4,253

802.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$252 MAD 2,458

462.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,366 MAD 13.3K

405.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$767 MAD 7,478

59.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.5

91.56%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ait Melloul: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ait Melloul

$173 25.9% 78.2% $621

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ait Melloul

$177 26.6% 49.7% $175

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ait Melloul

$112 16.9% 46.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ait Melloul

$63 9.4% 66.1% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ait Melloul

$82 12.2% 32.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ait Melloul

$33 5% 62.1% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ait Melloul

$27 4% 69.1% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $283 in Ait Melloul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $25.00 in Ait Melloul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $177 per month, with Ait Melloul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇦 Ait Melloul

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

09:00 9:00 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

171,847

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ait Melloul 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ait Melloul

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

Nosara vs Ait Melloul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ait Melloul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 175% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,001 in Ait Melloul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $283 in Ait Melloul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $69.7 in Ait Melloul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $667 in Ait Melloul versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ait Melloul but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ait Melloul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ait Melloul 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, Nosara and Ait Melloul 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 Ait Melloul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.