Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mahdia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahdia: $557 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Mahdia
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Mahdia Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Mahdia

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mahdia

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $557 in Mahdia, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Mahdia $557

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $881 in Mahdia, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Mahdia $881

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,206 in Mahdia, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Mahdia $1,206

Nosara costs about 230% more than Mahdia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Mahdia is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.48 TND 7.44

397.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$20.01 TND 59.9

205.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.84 TND 14.49

55.37%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$0.96 TND 2.89

359.38%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.57 TND 1.72

205.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.19 TND 0.56

589.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.03 TND 3.07

218.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.51 TND 4.52

196.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.43 TND 1.30

262.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.26 TND 0.78

1061.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.38 TND 4.13

81.88%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.53 TND 4.58

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.75 TND 35.19

-36.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.96 TND 14.87

112.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.46 TND 43.29

-3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.86 TND 8.56

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.86 TND 8.55

-43.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.44 TND 4.32

233.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.72 TND 2.15

123.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.65 TND 1.94

484.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.34 TND 1.03

985.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.43 TND 1.29

162.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.31 TND 0.94

758.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.53 TND 10.56

46.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$3.35 TND 10.04

493.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.63 TND 4.88

77.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.25 TND 3.75

190.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.32 TND 0.95

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$13.33 TND 39.92

444.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.31 TND 0.93

590.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.26 TND 0.77

503.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.88 TND 2.64

72.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$40.9K TND 122.5K

-47.15%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.1K TND 120.0K

-13.87%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$56.3 TND 169

70.94%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.15 TND 21.41

401.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.10 TND 60.2

166.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$20.52 TND 61.5

248.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.69 TND 23.03

353.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.80 TND 20.36

16.03%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$109 TND 326

353.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$985 TND 2,951

1103.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$37.98 TND 114

42.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.80 TND 98.2

68.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.9 TND 230

1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$23.51 TND 70.4

238.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$130 TND 390

505.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$100 TND 301

691.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$292 TND 875

1247.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$175 TND 523

712.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$675 TND 2,022

924.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$201 TND 602

509.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$232 TND 695

272.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.33

-16.55%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mahdia: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Mahdia

$100 18% 87.4% $694

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Mahdia

$188 33.8% 46.6% $164

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Mahdia

$57 10.3% 73% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Mahdia

$84 15% 55% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mahdia

$77 13.8% 35.9% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mahdia

$34 6.1% 60.9% $53

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Mahdia

$16 2.9% 81.4% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $130 in Mahdia. 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 272% 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 Mahdia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $188 – making Mahdia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇳 Mahdia

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

23:22 11:22 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

79,545

💱 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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Between locations

Nosara Mahdia 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mahdia

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 Mahdia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 230%, 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 $835 in Mahdia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $109 in Mahdia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mahdia, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Mahdia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahdia – 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 Mahdia. 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.