Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,107 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Macao outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
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Macao Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Macao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,107 in Macao.

Nosara $1,837
Macao $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $3,021 in Macao.

Nosara $2,775
Macao $3,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $3,935 in Macao.

Nosara $3,712
Macao $3,935

Living in Nosara costs roughly 13% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Macao 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$6.31 MOP 51.0

93.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$54.9 MOP 444

9.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.91 MOP 47.73

27.58%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.89 MOP 39.49

-11.86%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.06 MOP 8.56

62.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.93 MOP 7.55

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.63 MOP 45.48

-42.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$7.23 MOP 58.4

-38.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$3.09 MOP 24.98

-49.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.67 MOP 13.50

89.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.73 MOP 13.97

39.88%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.40 MOP 27.46

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$16.05 MOP 130

-53.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$19.07 MOP 154

-45.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$29.25 MOP 236

-53.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.71 MOP 21.87

-14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.86 MOP 23.14

-43.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.97 MOP 15.90

140.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.36 MOP 19.06

-29.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.85 MOP 31.10

-3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.95 MOP 23.85

21.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.66 MOP 5.30

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.20 MOP 9.74

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.64 MOP 53.7

-25.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$12.14 MOP 98.1

64.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.77 MOP 14.34

57.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.31 MOP 18.66

52.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.76 MOP 6.13

56.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$22.62 MOP 183

218.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.57 MOP 20.77

-12.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.24 MOP 9.99

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$15.00 MOP 121

-40.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.76 MOP 14.22

-10.80%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

-29.87%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

9.06%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$124 MOP 1,002

-24.64%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$23.44 MOP 189

49.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$36.46 MOP 295

41.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$63.3 MOP 511

12.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$3.78 MOP 30.57

837.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$14.73 MOP 119

-46.78%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,193 MOP 9,642

-58.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

-38.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$70.0 MOP 566

-23.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$33.25 MOP 269

67.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$92.4 MOP 747

-14.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$134 MOP 1,084

-41.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,130 MOP 9,135

-30.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,070 MOP 8,650

-27.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

84.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

-3.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

-16.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

-78.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

-57.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

187.33%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Macao

$1.1K 50.3% 37.2% $290

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Macao

$422 19.8% 20.7% $73

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Macao

$177 8.3% 15.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Macao

$184 8.6% 2.1% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Macao

$148 7% 23.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Macao

$93 4.4% 6.5% $5.6

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Macao

$34 1.6% 60.4% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $1,130 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 134% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $55.0 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $422, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

11:07 11:07 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Macao 15,870 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Macao

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 Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 134% lower in Macao. 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: $786 in Nosara versus $1,130 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $55.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $2,107 in Macao – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,107 in Macao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Macao 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.