Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mandeville

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandeville: $804 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Mandeville
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Mandeville Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Mandeville

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mandeville

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $804 in Mandeville.

Nosara $1,839
Mandeville $804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,386 in Mandeville.

Nosara $2,828
Mandeville $1,386

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,969 in Mandeville.

Nosara $3,818
Mandeville $1,969

Living in Nosara is roughly 129% more expensive than in Mandeville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Mandeville is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.40 JMD 1,011

92.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$73.5 JMD 11.6K

-16.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.22 JMD 1,298

-8.52%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.25 JMD 355

96.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.08 JMD 171

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.73 JMD 115

79.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.17 JMD 344

51.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.77 JMD 437

61.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$4.11 JMD 649

-62.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.85 JMD 292

63.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.57 JMD 248

59.87%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.59 JMD 568

-0.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.32 JMD 1,788

-34.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.38 JMD 1,007

64.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.10 JMD 1,596

38.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.87 JMD 927

-59.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.80 JMD 600

-57.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$7.25 JMD 1,146

-33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.10 JMD 490

-48.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.28 JMD 519

15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.63 JMD 415

40.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.08 JMD 487

-63.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.44 JMD 228

84.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.35 JMD 1,477

-44.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.47 JMD 1,811

73.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.87 JMD 453

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.95 JMD 625

-8.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.16 JMD 183

84.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.07 JMD 484

-48.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.33 JMD 1,001

34.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.46 JMD 230

4.11%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$44.1K JMD 7.0M

-51.02%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

6.62%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$93.3 JMD 14.7K

3.20%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$21.72 JMD 3,432

65.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$50.5 JMD 7,983

6.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.35 JMD 2,109

-40.90%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$356 JMD 56.3K

38.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,288 JMD 1.3M

43.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$23.13 JMD 3,655

133.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$31.52 JMD 4,981

75.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$103 JMD 16.3K

-22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$473 JMD 74.7K

66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.45

-8.78%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mandeville: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Mandeville

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Mandeville

$363 45.2% 3% $11

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Mandeville

$126 15.7% 40.3% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Mandeville

$166 20.6% 10.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mandeville

$106 13.2% 11.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mandeville

$27 * 3.3% 69.5% $61

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Mandeville

$16 * 2.1% 81.1% $71

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 $788 in Nosara and $473 in Mandeville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $73.0 in Mandeville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $363 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇲 Mandeville

🕒 Local time

19:27 7:27 PM

20:27 8:27 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

47,115

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mandeville 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mandeville

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 Mandeville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandeville is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 129% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,206 in Mandeville to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $473 in Mandeville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $356 in Mandeville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandeville – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $804 in Mandeville versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mandeville but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mandeville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mandeville 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 Mandeville 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 Mandeville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.