Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Makhachkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,049 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Makhachkala
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,049
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Makhachkala

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,009 in Makhachkala, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Makhachkala $1,009

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,562 in Makhachkala, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Makhachkala $1,562

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,115 in Makhachkala, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Makhachkala $2,115

Nosara costs about 82% more than Makhachkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Makhachkala is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Makhachkala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$10.80 ₽902
14.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$36.26 ₽3,026
69.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$6.40 ₽534
21.25%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$3.05 ₽255
45.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$1.25 ₽104
43.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$0.51 ₽42.98
152.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
$1.98 ₽165
63.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
$2.83 ₽236
56.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Makhachkala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$1.12 ₽93.1
38.39%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$0.72 ₽60.3
327.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$1.44 ₽120
75.69%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$1.63 ₽136
111.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$11.49 ₽959
-36.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$5.42 ₽453
88.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$11.18 ₽933
26.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$1.79 ₽149
27.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$1.78 ₽148
-7.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$1.84 ₽153
160.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$2.69 ₽225
-39.03%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$0.84 ₽69.8
358.33%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$0.61 ₽51.2
514.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$1.44 ₽120
-24.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$0.71 ₽59.2
264.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$3.39 ₽283
51.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
$7.84 ₽654
154.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,255
$1.04 ₽87.1
169.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,580
$1.78 ₽149
97.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Makhachkala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$0.47 ₽39.20
159.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$2.12 ₽177
2.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$0.34 ₽28.11
358.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$6.02 ₽503
44.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$0.84 ₽70.3
84.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$57.5K ₽4.8M
-39.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$37.4K ₽3.1M
3.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Makhachkala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$121 ₽10.1K
-21.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$5.46 ₽455
562.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$8.46 ₽706
527.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Makhachkala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$35.95 ₽3,001
105.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
$23.54 ₽1,964
51.36%
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$6.23 ₽520
26.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Makhachkala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$343 ₽28.7K
42.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$6,198 ₽517.3K
91.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Makhachkala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$87.1 ₽7,266
-37.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$60.4 ₽5,044
-7.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$119 ₽9,895
-32.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$109 ₽9,073
-28.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Makhachkala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$467 ₽39.0K
71.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$317 ₽26.5K
148.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$916 ₽76.4K
337.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$571 ₽47.7K
146.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$2,241 ₽187.0K
215.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$1,521 ₽126.9K
-18.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Makhachkala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
$614 ₽51.3K
44.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
21.45
-59.81%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Makhachkala
$317 59.8% $472
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Makhachkala
$209 40.3% $141
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Makhachkala
$165 22.5% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Makhachkala
$135 26.6% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Makhachkala
$169 39.4% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Makhachkala
$48 46% $41
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Makhachkala
$5.7 * 93.6% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $460 in Makhachkala. 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 39% 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 $32.00 in Makhachkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $206 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇷🇺 Makhachkala
🕒 Local time
03:56 3:56 AM
12:56 12:56 PM
9 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
604,266
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Makhachkala 12,450 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Makhachkala

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Makhachkala cheaper than Nosara?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,513 in Makhachkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Makhachkala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Nosara and in Makhachkala?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,009 in Makhachkala. That's a gap of about 82%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $348 in Makhachkala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Makhachkala?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Nosara or Makhachkala more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Makhachkala?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Makhachkala. 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.

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