Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Grand Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Bay: $1,176 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Grand Bay
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Grand Bay Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Grand Bay

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$1,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Grand Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,176 in Grand Bay.

Nosara $1,839
Grand Bay $1,176

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,240 in Grand Bay.

Nosara $2,828
Grand Bay $2,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,304 in Grand Bay.

Nosara $3,818
Grand Bay $3,304

Living in Nosara is roughly 56% more expensive than in Grand Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Grand Bay is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.67 MUR 267

117.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$62.7 MUR 2,951

-2.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.00 MUR 330

7.43%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.60 MUR 122

69.62%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.18 MUR 55.7

47.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.63 MUR 29.89

107.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.67 MUR 126

22.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.74 MUR 223

-5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.40 MUR 65.7

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.71 MUR 33.65

325.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.10 MUR 51.6

128.18%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.42 MUR 114

47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$20.36 MUR 959

-63.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.27 MUR 295

67.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$21.35 MUR 1,005

-34.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.88 MUR 88.3

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.03 MUR 95.7

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.44 MUR 67.7

233.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.92 MUR 137

-44.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.95 MUR 44.73

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.99 MUR 46.62

272.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.70 MUR 32.89

61.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.56 MUR 26.59

375.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.58 MUR 310

-21.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.28 MUR 390

140.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.69 MUR 79.4

71.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.04 MUR 95.8

77.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.03 MUR 48.61

8.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.31 MUR 203

-50.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.44 MUR 115

-35.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$20.86 MUR 982

-59.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.41 MUR 66.3

7.80%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.4K MUR 1.6M

-37.14%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

-4.83%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$45.51 MUR 2,143

111.58%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.73 MUR 741

128.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$29.36 MUR 1,383

82.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$57.6 MUR 2,713

24.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.47 MUR 305

21.95%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$125 MUR 5,881

295.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,478 MUR 352.1K

58.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$60.7 MUR 2,857

-11.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$62.8 MUR 2,954

-11.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$107 MUR 5,038

-27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$86.8 MUR 4,084

-8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$595 MUR 28.0K

32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$447 MUR 21.0K

77.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,067 MUR 97.3K

90.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,476 MUR 69.5K

-3.83%

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

$1,289 MUR 60.7K

-33.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

43.67%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Grand Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Grand Bay

$447 38% 43.7% $347

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Grand Bay

$277 23.6% 21.4% $75

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Grand Bay

$128 10.9% 39.7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Grand Bay

$91 7.7% 51.2% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Grand Bay

$143 12.1% 18.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Grand Bay

$71 6% 19.2% $17

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Grand Bay

$21 * 1.8% 76.3% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $595 in Grand Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $63.0 in Grand Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $277, with Grand Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇺 Grand Bay

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

22:34 10:34 PM

10 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

11,900

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Grand Bay 15,920 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Grand Bay

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 Grand Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Bay is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Grand Bay. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $595 in Grand Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $125 in Grand Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Grand Bay – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,176 in Grand Bay versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Grand Bay but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Grand Bay 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 Grand Bay 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 Grand Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.