Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cahul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cahul: $635 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cahul
Learn more

Cahul Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cahul

🇲🇩 Moldova

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cahul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $635 in Cahul.

Nosara $1,839
Cahul $635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $927 in Cahul.

Nosara $2,828
Cahul $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,219 in Cahul.

Nosara $3,818
Cahul $1,219

Living in Nosara is roughly 190% more expensive than in Cahul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Cahul is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.54 MDL 152

44.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.42 MDL 416

161.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.36 MDL 184

-27.41%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.67 MDL 29.62

164.07%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.10 MDL 19.60

58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.58 MDL 10.39

125.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.97 MDL 35.05

66.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.80 MDL 32.05

148.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.21 MDL 21.41

28.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.46 MDL 8.13

556.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.55 MDL 27.58

61.94%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.15 MDL 38.13

66.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.65 MDL 118

11.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.69 MDL 83.3

124.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.09 MDL 108

129.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.00 MDL 17.74

135.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.26 MDL 40.16

-28.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.89 MDL 33.62

153.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.28 MDL 40.46

-29.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.77 MDL 13.69

393.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.48 MDL 8.51

668.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.46 MDL 8.18

145.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.55 MDL 9.76

383.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.31 MDL 58.8

56.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.54 MDL 80.7

337.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.41 MDL 25.07

105.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.94 MDL 34.54

87.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.27 MDL 4.78

314.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.87 MDL 51.0

-25.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.26 MDL 4.62

503.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.69 MDL 101

49.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.57 MDL 27.84

-3.18%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$33.4K MDL 593.4K

-35.33%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.8K MDL 422.6K

45.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$225 MDL 3,990

-57.14%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.06 MDL 143

345.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$11.01 MDL 196

386.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.74 MDL 137

1.94%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$111 MDL 1,978

343.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,302 MDL 94.2K

123.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$44.70 MDL 794

20.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$55.5 MDL 985

40.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$51.1 MDL 908

55.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$500 MDL 8,884

72.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.75%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cahul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cahul

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cahul

$162 25.6% 53.9% $190

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cahul

$140 22% 34.1% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cahul

$244 38.4% 31.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cahul

$68 * 10.7% 43.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cahul

$15 * 2.4% 82.3% $72

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cahul

$5.3 * 0.8% 94% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 73% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $23.00 in Cahul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $162 per month, with Cahul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇩 Cahul

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

07:07 7:07 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

39,500

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cahul 10,980 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cahul

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 Cahul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cahul wins on cost – living expenses run 190% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cahul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $635 in Cahul – a 190% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $635 in Cahul versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cahul but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cahul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cahul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $635 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cahul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Cahul 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 Cahul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.