Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Antananarivo

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $648 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
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Antananarivo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Antananarivo

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 Antananarivo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $648 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Antananarivo $648

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,009 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Antananarivo $1,009

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,370 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Antananarivo $1,370

Nosara costs about 184% more than Antananarivo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Antananarivo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$2.68 MGA 12.0K

355.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$20.36 MGA 91.0K

195.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.48 MGA 24.5K

37.59%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.60 MGA 7,154

169.37%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.82 MGA 3,653

109.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.45 MGA 1,999

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$0.98 MGA 4,392

230.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.31 MGA 10.3K

93.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.01 MGA 4,497

55.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.00 MGA 4,471

217.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.76 MGA 3,377

218.42%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.07 MGA 9,268

72.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.66 MGA 38.7K

-14.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.48 MGA 20.0K

132.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$4.95 MGA 22.1K

175.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.11 MGA 4,946

109.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.58 MGA 2,598

177.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.04 MGA 4,660

355.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.81 MGA 3,615

104.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.60 MGA 2,700

520.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.99 MGA 4,418

260.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.34 MGA 1,532

223.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.72 MGA 3,217

254.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$1.55 MGA 6,933

219.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.12 MGA 22.9K

290.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.98 MGA 4,390

184.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.80 MGA 8,055

96.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.15 MGA 667

693.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.33 MGA 14.9K

-32.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.05 MGA 9,179

-24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$4.41 MGA 19.7K

100.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.18 MGA 5,263

33.05%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$11.9K MGA 53.4M

82.53%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$25.1K MGA 112.2M

38.00%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$72.8 MGA 325.6K

28.31%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$17.01 MGA 76.0K

106.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$56.6 MGA 253.0K

-9.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$29.33 MGA 131.1K

143.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$7.15 MGA 31.9K

395.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.61 MGA 25.1K

39.75%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$25.35 MGA 113.3K

1830.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$14.8K MGA 66.3M

-19.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$29.23 MGA 130.7K

83.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$27.19 MGA 121.5K

105.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$78.1 MGA 349.1K

1.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$68.3 MGA 305.4K

15.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$327 MGA 1.5M

140.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$152 MGA 678.6K

413.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$735 MGA 3.3M

424.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$319 MGA 1.4M

340.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$670 MGA 3.0M

941.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$561 MGA 2.5M

114.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$130 MGA 579.1K

576.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

15.75

-45.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Antananarivo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Antananarivo

$152 23% 80.5% $628

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Antananarivo

$144 21.9% 58.7% $205

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Antananarivo

$72 10.9% 65.8% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Antananarivo

$146 22.2% 18.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Antananarivo

$91 13.8% 24.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Antananarivo

$41 6.1% 53.4% $47

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.2% 83.6% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $327 in Antananarivo. 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 576% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $20.00 in Antananarivo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $144 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

15:10 3:10 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,274,225 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Antananarivo 14,890 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Antananarivo

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 Antananarivo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 184%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $972 in Antananarivo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $648 in Antananarivo. That's a gap of about 184%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $25.35 in Antananarivo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Antananarivo, where all-in costs run around $648, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Antananarivo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Antananarivo. 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.