Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Essaouira

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $782 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
Learn more

Essaouira Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Essaouira

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $782 in Essaouira, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Essaouira $782

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,172 in Essaouira, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Essaouira $1,172

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,562 in Essaouira, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Essaouira $1,562

Nosara costs about 135% more than Essaouira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Essaouira is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.62 MAD 45.00

167.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$18.81 MAD 183

225.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.12 MAD 69.4

5.62%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.35 MAD 13.14

226.67%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.47 MAD 4.58

270.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.38 MAD 3.68

244.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.31 MAD 51.8

-38.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.61 MAD 44.93

-3.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.90 MAD 8.79

73.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.54 MAD 5.25

459.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.67 MAD 16.28

50.30%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.68 MAD 16.37

112.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.27 MAD 80.6

-10.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.81 MAD 56.6

81.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.62 MAD 104

31.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.30 MAD 12.63

80.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.14 MAD 11.12

41.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.72 MAD 7.02

566.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.77 MAD 7.52

109.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.58 MAD 5.67

555.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.68 MAD 6.66

442.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.38 MAD 3.67

197.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.58 MAD 5.68

358.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.84 MAD 37.44

34.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.32 MAD 61.6

214.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.82 MAD 17.76

59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.13 MAD 20.77

70.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.82 MAD 7.99

36.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.64 MAD 6.22

234.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.63 MAD 6.19

149.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

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

$34.6K MAD 337.3K

-37.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.5K MAD 287.8K

16.95%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$23.89 MAD 233

303.06%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.25 MAD 168

108.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.01 MAD 293

78.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.30 MAD 51.7

48.87%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$69.0 MAD 672

616.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,875 MAD 18.3K

532.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$29.38 MAD 286

83.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.72 MAD 436

23.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$59.0 MAD 576

32.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$41.76 MAD 407

90.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$393 MAD 3,835

100.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$330 MAD 3,217

140.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$930 MAD 9,071

323.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$557 MAD 5,433

154.70%

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

$256 MAD 2,498

237.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Essaouira

$330 42.2% 58.5% $464

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Essaouira

$171 21.9% 51.4% $181

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Essaouira

$114 14.5% 46.4% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Essaouira

$71 9.1% 61.7% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Essaouira

$79 10.1% 34.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Essaouira

$11 * 1.4% 87.9% $77

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Essaouira

$7.1 * 0.9% 91.9% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $393 in Essaouira. 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 237% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $19.00 in Essaouira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $171 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

18:32 6:32 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

77,966

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Essaouira 8,100 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Essaouira

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 Essaouira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,173 in Essaouira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Essaouira, 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 $61.0 in Nosara and $19.00 in Essaouira. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Essaouira, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Essaouira – 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 Essaouira. 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.