Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and La Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $772 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
38

Cost of Living Index in La Marsa
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La Marsa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

La Marsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in La Marsa

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $772 in La Marsa, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
La Marsa $772

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,291 in La Marsa, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
La Marsa $1,291

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,809 in La Marsa, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
La Marsa $1,809

Nosara costs about 138% more than La Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while La Marsa is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.41 TND 10.21

262.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$20.34 TND 60.9

200.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.24 TND 15.69

43.51%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.30 TND 3.88

239.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.60 TND 1.79

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.26 TND 0.77

403.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.48 TND 4.44

121.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.98 TND 5.92

125.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.53 TND 1.60

194.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.31 TND 0.94

874.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.32 TND 6.96

8.19%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.85 TND 5.53

92.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.51 TND 28.49

-21.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.65 TND 19.93

58.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.01 TND 38.98

7.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.03 TND 6.08

15.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.58 TND 10.71

-55.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.47 TND 4.42

226.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.67 TND 2.00

140.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.60 TND 1.79

533.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.65 TND 1.96

467.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.40 TND 1.21

182.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.30 TND 0.91

786.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.64 TND 10.91

42.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.50 TND 19.47

205.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.27 TND 3.79

128.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.61 TND 4.84

125.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.34 TND 1.03

229.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$6.99 TND 20.93

939.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.29 TND 0.86

637.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.42 TND 1.27

273.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.10 TND 12.28

107.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.87 TND 2.60

74.71%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.9K TND 110.5K

-41.41%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.1K TND 93.1K

11.06%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$33.98 TND 102

183.37%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$12.23 TND 36.62

193.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$18.32 TND 54.9

192.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$41.68 TND 125

71.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.45 TND 22.30

368.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.27 TND 15.80

49.72%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$59.5 TND 178

730.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,560 TND 7,666

363.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$63.5 TND 190

-15.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$69.4 TND 208

-20.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$90.9 TND 272

-14.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$89.9 TND 269

-11.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$288 TND 863

173.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$233 TND 697

241.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$707 TND 2,116

457.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$572 TND 1,712

148.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,831 TND 5,485

277.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,018 TND 3,049

20.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$334 TND 1,000

158.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-38.43%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for La Marsa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

La Marsa

$233 30.1% 70.7% $562

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

La Marsa

$198 25.6% 43.9% $154

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

La Marsa

$73 9.5% 65.4% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

La Marsa

$65 8.4% 65.3% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

La Marsa

$141 18.3% 17.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

La Marsa

$52 6.8% 40.2% $35

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

La Marsa

$11 1.4% 87.6% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $288 in La Marsa. 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 159% 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 $20.00 in La Marsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $198 – making La Marsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇳 La Marsa

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

00:14 12:14 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

92,987

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, 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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara La Marsa 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
La Marsa

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 La Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 138%, 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 $1,159 in La Marsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Marsa, 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 $1,839 in Nosara and $772 in La Marsa. That's a gap of about 138%.

Public transport costs about 939% less in La Marsa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in La Marsa, where all-in costs run around $772, than in Nosara at $1,839. In La Marsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Marsa – 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 La Marsa. 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.