Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Fuvahmulah

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $777 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Fuvahmulah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $777 in Fuvahmulah.

Nosara $1,837
Fuvahmulah $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,105 in Fuvahmulah.

Nosara $2,775
Fuvahmulah $1,105

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,432 in Fuvahmulah.

Nosara $3,712
Fuvahmulah $1,432

Living in Nosara is roughly 136% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Fuvahmulah is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.60 MVR 24.65

-1.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.96 MVR 14.80

230.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.47 MVR 7.27

414.89%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.58 MVR 24.30

125.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$6.41 MVR 98.8

15.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.69 MVR 72.3

122.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$12.84 MVR 198

6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.30 MVR 50.9

-29.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.27 MVR 19.52

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.15 MVR 48.59

50.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.57 MVR 24.25

5.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.12 MVR 17.34

232.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.12 MVR 17.20

218.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.64 MVR 25.27

-32.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.63 MVR 9.65

304.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.90 MVR 60.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.74 MVR 104

-26.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.67 MVR 10.34

77.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$19.75 MVR 305

264.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.67 MVR 25.69

34.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.58 MVR 24.36

-1.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$6.60 MVR 102

34.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.26 MVR 19.50

24.60%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$19.2K MVR 296.3K

13.47%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$22.4K MVR 345.3K

54.66%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$161 MVR 2,490

-42.13%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$38.30 MVR 591

34.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$22.43 MVR 346

218.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$12.70 MVR 196

179.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.32 MVR 97.5

24.05%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$157 MVR 2,415

212.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$2,250 MVR 34.7K

428.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$29.36 MVR 453

82.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$19.17 MVR 296

190.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$37.70 MVR 581

110.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$52.0 MVR 802

51.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$322 MVR 4,959

144.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$259 MVR 3,996

200.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$541 MVR 8,343

613.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$516 MVR 7,957

172.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$348 MVR 5,362

245.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$669 MVR 10.3K

30.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Fuvahmulah

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Fuvahmulah

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Fuvahmulah

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Fuvahmulah

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Fuvahmulah

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Fuvahmulah

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Fuvahmulah

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

17:37 5:37 PM

11 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

11,140

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, 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).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.28 MVR (100 MVR = 5.79 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Fuvahmulah 17,460 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Fuvahmulah

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 Fuvahmulah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $157 in Fuvahmulah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Fuvahmulah runs roughly 265% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $777 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Fuvahmulah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fuvahmulah 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 Fuvahmulah 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 Fuvahmulah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.