Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mahé

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Mahé: $1,837 and $1,799 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mahé
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Mahé Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Mahé

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mahé

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,799 in Mahé.

Nosara $1,837
Mahé $1,799

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,618 in Mahé.

Nosara $2,775
Mahé $2,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $3,438 in Mahé.

Nosara $3,712
Mahé $3,438

Living in Nosara is roughly 2% more expensive than in Mahé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Mahé 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$17.55 SCR 254

-30.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$108 SCR 1,564

-44.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.66 SCR 82.0

33.22%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-34.60%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.62 SCR 23.47

6.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$12.68 SCR 184

-74.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$9.10 SCR 132

-50.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.58 SCR 22.84

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.09 SCR 15.83

190.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.84 SCR 26.66

31.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.29 SCR 62.1

-16.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$15.89 SCR 230

-53.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$8.28 SCR 120

25.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$12.96 SCR 188

5.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.07 SCR 29.93

12.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.42 SCR 35.04

95.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-74.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.06 SCR 15.33

250.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.05 SCR 15.23

240.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.09 SCR 15.81

0.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$14.50 SCR 210

-65.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.19 SCR 31.75

61.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.76 SCR 11.03

56.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$35.50 SCR 514

103.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$14.40 SCR 209

-38.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.48 SCR 21.40

6.08%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$49.22 SCR 713

89.86%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$21.81 SCR 316

60.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$105 SCR 1,523

-51.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$52.9 SCR 766

34.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.26 SCR 90.6

25.24%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$29.88 SCR 433

79.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$11.99 SCR 174

365.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$47.18 SCR 683

67.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$58.8 SCR 851

34.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$871 SCR 12.6K

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$842 SCR 12.2K

-7.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,772 SCR 25.7K

117.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,058 SCR 15.3K

33.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$855 SCR 12.4K

2.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mahé: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Mahé

$842 47.9% 8% $62

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Mahé

$246 * 14% 29.6% $103

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Mahé

$324 * 18.5% 54.9% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Mahé

$176 10% 2.1% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Mahé

$67 3.8% 44.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mahé

$65 3.7% 24.9% $22

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mahé

$39 * 2.2% 55.6% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $871 in Mahé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 2% 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 $108 in Mahé. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $246, with Mahé cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇨 Mahé

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

08:46 8:46 AM

10 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

78,539

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 SCR = 6.91 USD

100 SCR = 6.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SCR, 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).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 14.48 SCR (100 SCR = 6.91 USD). 1 EUR = 16.24 SCR (100 SCR = 6.16 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Mahé 15,690 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mahé

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 Mahé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahé wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mahé the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $786 in Nosara versus $871 in Mahé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,799 in Mahé – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,799 in Mahé versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mahé but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mahé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mahé delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,799 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mahé hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Mahé 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 Mahé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.