Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Madaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Madaba: $765 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Madaba
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Madaba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Madaba

🇯🇴 Jordan

$765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Madaba

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $765 in Madaba, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Madaba $765

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,349 in Madaba, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Madaba $1,349

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,932 in Madaba, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Madaba $1,932

Nosara costs about 140% more than Madaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.54 JOD 3.92

122.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$49.14 JOD 34.79

24.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.44 JOD 4.56

16.77%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.56 JOD 2.52

23.88%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.61 JOD 0.43

185.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.61 JOD 0.43

114.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.36 JOD 3.08

-24.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.85 JOD 4.85

-34.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.39 JOD 0.99

12.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.66 JOD 0.47

357.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.57 JOD 1.11

59.87%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.72 JOD 1.22

107.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.32 JOD 3.06

71.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.56 JOD 3.94

89.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.75 JOD 9.02

9.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.66 JOD 1.88

-11.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.44 JOD 1.02

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.78 JOD 1.26

169.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.73 JOD 0.52

120.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.73 JOD 0.51

420.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.69 JOD 0.49

434.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.34 JOD 0.24

232.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.55 JOD 0.39

383.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.13 JOD 1.51

143.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$20.90 JOD 14.80

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$4.86 JOD 3.44

-40.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$5.03 JOD 3.56

-27.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.88 JOD 0.62

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$71.6 JOD 50.7

1.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.58 JOD 0.41

268.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.39 JOD 0.98

12.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.16 JOD 5.07

18.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.43 JOD 1.02

6.29%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.4K JOD 25.1K

-39.03%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.9K JOD 24.7K

-1.10%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$69.2 JOD 49.02

39.07%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$13.83 JOD 9.79

159.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.89 JOD 14.79

156.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$28.60 JOD 20.25

150.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$69.2 JOD 49.02

-49.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.25 JOD 7.97

-29.87%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$41.99 JOD 29.73

1076.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$9,676 JOD 6,851

22.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$63.2 JOD 44.72

-14.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$57.0 JOD 40.32

-2.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$69.9 JOD 49.48

11.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$43.11 JOD 30.52

84.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$210 JOD 149

275.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$42.56 JOD 30.13

1766.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$419 JOD 297

839.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$210 JOD 149

575.59%

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

$495 JOD 351

74.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.81

26.58%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Madaba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Madaba

$43 5.6% 94.6% $752

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Madaba

$233 30.5% 33.9% $119

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Madaba

$147 19.2% 30.8% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Madaba

$104 13.6% 44% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Madaba

$105 13.7% 12.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Madaba

$51 6.7% 41.5% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Madaba

$83 10.8% 5.1% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $210 in Madaba. 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 74% 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 $49.00 in Madaba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $233 – making Madaba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇴 Madaba

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

06:21 6:21 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

65,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, 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).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Madaba 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Madaba

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 Madaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 140% more than Madaba, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,147 in Madaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madaba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $49.00 in Madaba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $765 in Madaba. That's a gap of about 140%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Madaba, where all-in costs run around $765, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Madaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Madaba costs $765 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Madaba. 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.