Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Manta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $678 in Manta.

Nosara $1,839
Manta $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,157 in Manta.

Nosara $2,828
Manta $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,636 in Manta.

Nosara $3,818
Manta $1,636

Living in Nosara is roughly 171% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Manta is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.96 $2.96

317.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$52.2 $52.2

17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.39 $5.39

39.52%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.92 $2.92

51.03%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.52 $0.52

234.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.38 $0.38

244.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.97 $2.97

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.72 $3.72

20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.03 $1.03

51.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.91 $1.91

58.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.98 $0.98

156.12%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.13 $2.13

67.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$2.98 $2.98

149.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.98 $2.98

253.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.83 $6.83

104.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.97 $0.97

142.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.78 $0.78

106.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.71 $0.71

576.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.78 $0.78

106.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.52 $0.52

630.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.48 $0.48

668.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.69 $0.69

63.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.99 $0.99

168.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.08 $4.08

26.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.89 $6.89

188.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.03 $1.03

181.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.20 $2.20

65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.50 $0.50

124.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.70 $1.70

25.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.74 $1.74

-9.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$9.27 $9.27

-8.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.72 $0.72

111.11%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.7K $20.7K

4.56%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.8K $30.8K

12.08%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$97.1 $97.1

-0.86%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.13 $11.13

222.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$25.84 $25.84

107.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$20.23 $20.23

253.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$34.58 $34.58

0.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.89 $4.89

61.35%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$369 $369

33.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,783 $5,783

105.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.2 $55.2

-2.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.87 $40.87

35.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$101 $101

-22.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$61.8 $61.8

28.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$303 $303

159.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$141 $141

462.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$917 $917

329.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$334 $334

324.66%

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

$474 $474

82.31%

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 Manta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Manta

$141 20.9% 82.2% $653

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Manta

$143 21.1% 59.4% $209

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Manta

$101 14.9% 52.4% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Manta

$134 19.8% 27.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Manta

$116 17.2% 3.1% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Manta

$30 4.4% 65.6% $57

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Manta

$12 * 1.8% 85.8% $75

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 $303 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 82% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $52.0 in Manta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $143 per month, with Manta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

17:29 5:29 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

217,553

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Manta 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 171% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $303 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $369 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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 Manta 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 Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.