Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Marathon

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,218 in Marathon, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Marathon
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Marathon Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Marathon

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Marathon

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,218 in Marathon, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Marathon $2,218

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,213 in Marathon, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Marathon $3,213

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,209 in Marathon, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Marathon $4,209

Nosara is about 17% cheaper than Marathon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Marathon sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Marathon by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$17.17 CA$24.27

-28.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$66.1 CA$93.4

-7.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$10.61 CA$15.00

-26.86%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.65 CA$5.16

21.64%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.93 CA$2.72

-7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.60 CA$2.26

-19.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.13 CA$7.25

-36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.57 CA$7.88

-20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.99 CA$2.81

-22.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.52 CA$3.56

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$3.27 CA$4.62

-22.63%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.42 CA$4.83

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.04 CA$14.19

-27.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$11.16 CA$15.78

-8.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$14.71 CA$20.80

-4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.85 CA$5.44

-40.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.29 CA$1.82

27.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.69 CA$5.21

29.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.77 CA$5.32

-56.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.48 CA$3.51

55.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.13 CA$3.01

76.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.44 CA$3.45

-55.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.55 CA$2.19

67.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$14.15 CA$20.01

-63.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$12.51 CA$17.68

59.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.55 CA$3.60

9.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.01 CA$4.25

16.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.32 CA$3.28

-47.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$62.1 CA$87.8

19.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.95 CA$4.18

-26.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.41 CA$1.99

10.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$23.24 CA$32.86

-62.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.13 CA$1.60

37.17%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.6K CA$39.0K

25.12%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$19.1K CA$27.0K

102.76%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$132 CA$187

-28.16%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$38.75 CA$54.8

-6.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$54.5 CA$77.1

-2.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$39.87 CA$56.4

85.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$17.63 CA$24.92

102.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.17 CA$15.79

-29.19%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$760 CA$1,074

-35.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.8K CA$18.0K

-6.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$53.5 CA$75.6

2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$37.54 CA$53.1

48.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$84.0 CA$119

-4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$103 CA$145

-24.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,241 CA$1,754

-35.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,114 CA$1,575

-29.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,930 CA$2,728

107.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,701 CA$2,405

-17.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$4,211 CA$5,953

67.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$3,537 CA$5,000

-65.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$1,720 CA$2,431

-48.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.66

84.98%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Marathon: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Marathon

$1.1K 50.2% 41.1% $324

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Marathon

$346 15.6% 1% $3.4

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Marathon

$264 11.9% 24.1% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Marathon

$225 10.2% 22.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Marathon

$125 5.6% 3.2% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Marathon

$62 2.8% 30.6% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Marathon

$81 3.7% 8.3% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,241 in Marathon. 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 94% higher in Marathon, 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 $66.0 in Marathon. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $346 in Marathon – so Marathon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Marathon

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

12:19 12:19 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,300

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Marathon 4,310 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Marathon

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 Marathon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marathon is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,326 in Marathon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $760 in Marathon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Marathon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Marathon at $2,218. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marathon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marathon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.