Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $654 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Machala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $654 in Machala.

Nosara $1,839
Machala $654

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,045 in Machala.

Nosara $2,828
Machala $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,436 in Machala.

Nosara $3,818
Machala $1,436

Living in Nosara is roughly 181% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Machala is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.69 $2.69

359.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$25.09 $25.09

143.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.21 $5.21

44.34%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.70 $2.70

63.33%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.84 $0.84

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.75 $0.75

74.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.94 $1.94

69.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.80 $3.80

17.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.10 $1.10

41.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.05 $1.05

187.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.96 $0.96

161.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.50 $1.50

138.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$3.34 $3.34

122.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.12 $4.12

155.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$4.80 $4.80

191.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.54 $1.54

52.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.64 $0.64

151.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.74 $0.74

548.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.53 $0.53

203.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.38 $0.38

900.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.49 $0.49

653.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.37 $0.37

205.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.99 $0.99

168.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.39 $4.39

18.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.59 $7.59

161.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.51 $1.51

92.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.11 $2.11

72.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.33 $0.33

239.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$22.38 $22.38

224.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.47 $1.47

45.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.80 $1.80

-12.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.98 $7.98

6.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.59 $0.59

157.63%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$18.1K $18.1K

19.35%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.9K $21.9K

57.80%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$50.8 $50.8

89.44%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.01 $15.01

139.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.60 $26.60

101.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$43.11 $43.11

66.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$30.17 $30.17

15.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.91 $4.91

60.69%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$133 $133

270.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,667 $5,667

109.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$65.9 $65.9

-18.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$39.72 $39.72

39.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$79.8 $79.8

-2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$67.6 $67.6

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$193 $193

307.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$132 $132

502.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$349 $349

1028.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$265 $265

435.69%

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

$458 $458

88.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

72.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Machala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Machala

$132 20.2% 83.4% $662

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Machala

$136 20.7% 61.4% $216

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Machala

$93 14.3% 56% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Machala

$92 14.1% 50.2% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Machala

$114 17.4% 5.2% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Machala

$53 8.1% 39.4% $34

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Machala

$34 5.2% 60.8% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $193 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 89% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $25.00 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $136 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

22:22 10:22 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

231,260

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Machala 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Machala

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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 181% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $193 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $654 in Machala – a 181% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $654 in Machala versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Machala 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 Machala 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 Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.