Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mar del Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Mar del Plata: $1,038 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
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Mar del Plata Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mar del Plata

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 Mar del Plata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,038 in Mar del Plata.

Nosara $1,837
Mar del Plata $1,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,787 in Mar del Plata.

Nosara $2,775
Mar del Plata $1,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,536 in Mar del Plata.

Nosara $3,712
Mar del Plata $2,536

Living in Nosara is roughly 77% more expensive than in Mar del Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Mar del Plata is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$19.74 ARS 29.9K

-38.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$60.3 ARS 91.4K

-0.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

-39.78%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.13 ARS 4,743

37.70%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.51 ARS 3,813

-31.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.03 ARS 3,071

-33.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$4.06 ARS 6,151

-20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.02 ARS 4,585

48.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.08 ARS 1,634

45.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.20 ARS 3,330

44.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.16 ARS 4,785

-23.42%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.36 ARS 3,575

51.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$5.86 ARS 8,885

26.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.65 ARS 10.1K

56.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

9.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.32 ARS 5,030

-30.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.43 ARS 3,687

-33.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.48 ARS 2,242

220.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.05 ARS 3,115

-19.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.01 ARS 1,532

253.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.60 ARS 5,463

37.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$2.94 ARS 4,457

580.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.29 ARS 1,954

-7.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.63 ARS 2,468

37.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.64 ARS 967

142.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$6.40 ARS 9,707

38.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.36 ARS 2,064

15.44%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$79.0 ARS 119.8K

18.28%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$8.23 ARS 12.5K

326.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$30.10 ARS 45.6K

71.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$31.31 ARS 47.5K

128.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

-22.14%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$304 ARS 460.4K

61.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$87.7 ARS 133.1K

-38.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$121 ARS 184.2K

-34.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$54.8 ARS 83.1K

43.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$328 ARS 497.2K

139.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$253 ARS 383.9K

208.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$801 ARS 1.2M

381.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$654 ARS 992.3K

115.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$610 ARS 925.5K

43.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Mar del Plata

$253 24.7% 67.5% $527

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Mar del Plata

$198 * 19.3% 43.2% $151

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Mar del Plata

$278 27% 32.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Mar del Plata

$117 11.4% 34.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Mar del Plata

$119 * 11.6% 1.3% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mar del Plata

$51 5% 40.9% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mar del Plata

$10 * 1% 88.5% $77

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 $786 in Nosara and $328 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 44% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $60.0 in Mar del Plata. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $198, with Mar del Plata cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🕒 Local time

05:23 5:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

593,337

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Mar del Plata 6,080 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mar del Plata

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 Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mar del Plata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $786 in Nosara versus $328 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,038 in Mar del Plata – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mar del Plata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mar del Plata delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,038 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mar del Plata hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Mar del Plata 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 Mar del Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.