Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mangalia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mangalia: $1,056 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Mangalia
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Mangalia Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Mangalia

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mangalia

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,056 in Mangalia, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Mangalia $1,056

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,639 in Mangalia, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Mangalia $1,639

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,222 in Mangalia, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Mangalia $2,222

Nosara costs about 74% more than Mangalia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Mangalia is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.69 RON 55.3

5.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$45.26 RON 214

35.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.65 RON 36.19

-1.70%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.99 RON 14.13

47.49%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.11 RON 9.98

-17.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.07 RON 9.80

-36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.53 RON 11.96

29.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.40 RON 16.10

31.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 RON 7.65

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.13 RON 5.33

167.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.48 RON 6.98

69.59%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.10 RON 14.67

15.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.92 RON 37.47

-6.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.77 RON 32.03

55.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.37 RON 44.35

49.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.30 RON 6.13

80.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.68 RON 7.96

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.45 RON 6.85

231.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.99 RON 9.42

-19.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.73 RON 3.43

420.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.75 RON 3.57

392.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.68 RON 3.21

66.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.76 RON 3.58

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.25 RON 29.56

-17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.41 RON 30.31

210.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.95 RON 4.49

205.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.39 RON 6.57

161.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.84 RON 3.95

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$19.86 RON 94.0

265.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.64 RON 3.03

234.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.61 RON 2.89

157.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.46 RON 30.55

31.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.80 RON 8.50

-15.56%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.7K RON 135.7K

-24.63%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.8K RON 117.2K

39.39%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$162 RON 766

-40.49%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.12 RON 28.98

486.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$8.86 RON 41.92

504.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$38.09 RON 180

87.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$21.13 RON 100.0

65.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.39 RON 39.71

-5.96%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$395 RON 1,869

25.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,724 RON 27.1K

107.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$73.6 RON 348

-26.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$41.69 RON 197

32.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$90.8 RON 429

-14.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$94.6 RON 447

-15.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$381 RON 1,801

107.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$274 RON 1,296

189.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$574 RON 2,716

586.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$478 RON 2,262

196.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,991 RON 9,419

247.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,331 RON 6,299

-8.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$746 RON 3,528

15.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.85

9.81%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mangalia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Mangalia

$274 26% 65.5% $520

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Mangalia

$200 18.9% 43.3% $153

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Mangalia

$189 17.9% 11% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Mangalia

$177 16.7% 4.8% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mangalia

$135 12.8% 12.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mangalia

$55 5.2% 37.2% $32

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Mangalia

$27 2.6% 69.1% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $381 in Mangalia. 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 16% 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 $45.00 in Mangalia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $200 – making Mangalia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇷🇴 Mangalia

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

00:28 12:28 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

36,364

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mangalia 11,110 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mangalia

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 Mangalia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,056 in Mangalia – roughly 74% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,584 in Mangalia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 266% less in Mangalia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $395 in Mangalia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mangalia, where all-in costs run around $1,056, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Mangalia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,056 in Mangalia to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mangalia. 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.