Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mandurah

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,351 in Mandurah, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Mandurah
Learn more

Mandurah Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Mandurah

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mandurah

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,351 in Mandurah, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Mandurah $2,351

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,455 in Mandurah, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Mandurah $3,455

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,558 in Mandurah, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Mandurah $4,558

Nosara is about 22% cheaper than Mandurah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Mandurah sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Mandurah by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,556

$20.01 A$28.66

-38.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$83.0 A$119

-26.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,383

$10.49 A$15.02

-28.31%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,984

$4.34 A$6.22

1.61%

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

$1.74 ₡782

$2.92 A$4.18

-40.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡589

$2.21 A$3.17

-40.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,475

$6.09 A$8.73

-46.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,010

$8.54 A$12.23

-47.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.77 A$2.53

-11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,359

$2.59 A$3.71

16.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,129

$1.97 A$2.82

27.41%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,608

$4.81 A$6.89

-25.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,344

$9.39 A$13.45

-20.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,732

$9.42 A$13.50

11.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,284

$14.07 A$20.16

-0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,055

$3.33 A$4.77

-29.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡722

$3.07 A$4.39

-47.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,159

$3.47 A$4.97

38.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡726

$4.90 A$7.02

-67.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,708

$1.68 A$2.41

126.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,662

$0.82 A$1.18

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$2.01 A$2.87

-43.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$1.38 A$1.98

92.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,328

$42.22 A$60.5

-87.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,944

$12.30 A$17.62

61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,304

$4.35 A$6.24

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,631

$3.52 A$5.04

3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡506

$3.75 A$5.37

-70.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$90.6 A$130

-19.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡961

$3.55 A$5.09

-39.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡706

$1.44 A$2.06

9.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,835

$40.41 A$57.9

-78.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡684

$1.28 A$1.84

18.75%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.5K A$39.4K

-21.35%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.9K A$42.8K

15.63%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$195 A$279

-50.54%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$20.91 A$29.96

71.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$61.0 A$87.4

-12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$33.81 A$48.44

111.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$10.60 A$15.18

229.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,550

$8.56 A$12.26

-7.83%

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

$494 ₡222.3K

$386 A$552

28.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$22.8K A$32.7K

-48.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$77.5 A$111

-30.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$44.43 A$63.7

24.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.1K

$120 A$172

-35.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$75.3 A$108

5.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.5K

$1,418 A$2,032

-44.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡357.3K

$1,107 A$1,585

-28.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,395 A$3,431

64.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡638.4K

$1,756 A$2,515

-19.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.5K

$4,177 A$5,984

-79.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.7

51.23%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mandurah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Mandurah

$1.1K 47.1% 39.3% $312

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Mandurah

$346 14.7% 1.7% $6

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Mandurah

$312 13.3% 47.1% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Mandurah

$277 11.8% 48.9% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mandurah

$143 6.1% 19% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mandurah

$51 2.2% 41.7% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Mandurah

$116 5% 33.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,418 in Mandurah. 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 384% higher in Mandurah, 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 $83.0 in Mandurah. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $346 in Mandurah – so Mandurah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇺 Mandurah

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

05:06 5:06 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

107,643

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mandurah 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mandurah

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 Mandurah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandurah costs about 28% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,527 in Mandurah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, 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 $386 in Mandurah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Mandurah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Mandurah at $2,351. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mandurah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,351 in Mandurah. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mandurah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.