Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Manglaralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Manglaralto: $796 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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 Manglaralto
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Manglaralto Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Manglaralto

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Manglaralto

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $796 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Manglaralto $796

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,359 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Manglaralto $1,359

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,922 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Manglaralto $1,922

Nosara costs about 131% more than Manglaralto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Manglaralto is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.12 $4.12

199.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$52.7 $52.7

16.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.78 $8.78

-14.35%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.89 $2.89

52.60%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.92 $0.92

89.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.71 $0.71

84.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.05 $3.05

7.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.15 $4.15

7.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.21 $1.21

28.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.91 $1.91

58.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.46 $1.46

71.92%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.07 $2.07

72.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.07 $7.07

5.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.21 $5.21

101.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.26 $9.26

50.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.47 $1.47

59.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.18 $1.18

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.98 $0.98

389.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.91 $0.91

76.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.27 $1.27

199.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.98 $0.98

276.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.83 $0.83

36.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.95 $0.95

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.13 $6.13

-15.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.20 $12.20

62.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.56 $1.56

85.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.14 $2.14

69.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.36 $0.36

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$20.55 $20.55

253.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.33 $1.33

60.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.72 $1.72

-8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$11.87 $11.87

-28.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.85 $0.85

78.82%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.3K $21.3K

1.45%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.8K $31.8K

8.40%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$40.29 $40.29

138.99%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.92 $9.92

261.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$25.75 $25.75

108.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.70 $29.70

141.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.44 $14.44

141.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.56 $7.56

4.37%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$368 $368

34.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,761 $5,761

105.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$65.8 $65.8

-18.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.10 $40.10

38.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$127 $127

-38.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$92.7 $92.7

-14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$283 $283

178.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$173 $173

360.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$653 $653

502.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$390 $390

263.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,165 $1,165

493.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$723 $723

69.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.05

-14.23%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manglaralto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Manglaralto

$173 21.7% 78.3% $622

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Manglaralto

$200 25.2% 43.1% $152

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Manglaralto

$124 15.6% 41.4% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Manglaralto

$76 9.5% 59.1% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Manglaralto

$147 18.4% 22.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Manglaralto

$45 5.6% 48.7% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Manglaralto

$32 4% 63.4% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $283 in Manglaralto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $53.0 in Manglaralto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $200 – making Manglaralto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Manglaralto

🕒 Local time

18:52 6:52 PM

19:52 7:52 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Manglaralto 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Manglaralto

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 Manglaralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,194 in Manglaralto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 253% less in Manglaralto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $368 in Manglaralto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Manglaralto, where all-in costs run around $796, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Manglaralto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manglaralto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Manglaralto. 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.