Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Maracaibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracaibo: $781 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
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Maracaibo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Maracaibo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $781 in Maracaibo.

Nosara $1,837
Maracaibo $781

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,316 in Maracaibo.

Nosara $2,775
Maracaibo $1,316

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,851 in Maracaibo.

Nosara $3,712
Maracaibo $1,851

Living in Nosara is roughly 135% more expensive than in Maracaibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Maracaibo is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$10.69 VES 9,348

14.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$40.44 VES 35.4K

48.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.05 VES 7,917

-16.69%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.68 VES 2,340

60.82%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.15 VES 1,009

49.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.36 VES 1,188

-0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.30 VES 2,012

40.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.96 VES 2,592

51.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.95 VES 1,704

-19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.20 VES 1,927

44.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.09 VES 950

122.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.60 VES 3,148

-0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$6.59 VES 5,765

12.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.21 VES 5,434

67.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.30 VES 6,387

87.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.64 VES 4,060

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.40 VES 1,223

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.62 VES 1,413

192.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.41 VES 1,237

17.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.18 VES 1,036

215.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.78 VES 1,555

100.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.02 VES 891

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$2.01 VES 1,762

26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.94 VES 2,574

68.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.87 VES 7,759

125.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.08 VES 946

158.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.72 VES 2,379

29.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.46 VES 403

158.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$41.91 VES 36.7K

71.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.95 VES 3,452

-43.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.04 VES 1,787

-24.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$17.18 VES 15.0K

-48.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.74 VES 650

112.16%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$14.7K VES 12.9M

48.22%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$27.9K VES 24.4M

24.25%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$63.5 VES 55.5K

47.19%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$7.43 VES 6,497

372.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$24.55 VES 21.5K

109.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$33.32 VES 29.1K

114.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$28.43 VES 24.9K

24.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.10 VES 4,461

53.73%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$153 VES 133.7K

220.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$7,068 VES 6.2M

68.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$27.67 VES 24.2K

93.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$32.70 VES 28.6K

70.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$61.6 VES 53.9K

28.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$58.1 VES 50.8K

35.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$161 VES 140.5K

389.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$91.8 VES 80.3K

749.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$305 VES 266.7K

1166.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$198 VES 173.3K

610.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$751 VES 656.9K

828.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$508 VES 444.1K

136.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$214 VES 187.2K

309.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-56.90%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Maracaibo

$92 11.7% 88.2% $688

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Maracaibo

$242 30.9% 30.7% $107

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Maracaibo

$172 22% 17.8% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Maracaibo

$95 12.2% 47% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Maracaibo

$81 10.3% 32.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Maracaibo

$44 5.6% 50% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Maracaibo

$58 7.4% 33.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $161 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 309% 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 $40.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $242 per month, with Maracaibo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

02:21 2:21 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 981 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Maracaibo 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Maracaibo

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 Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 309% 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 $161 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $153 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $781 in Maracaibo versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Maracaibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maracaibo 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 Maracaibo 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 Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.