Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Maroochydore

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,355 in Maroochydore, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
116

Cost of Living Index in Maroochydore
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Maroochydore Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Maroochydore

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,355 in Maroochydore, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Maroochydore $2,355

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,592 in Maroochydore, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Maroochydore $3,592

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,828 in Maroochydore, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Maroochydore $4,828

Nosara is about 22% cheaper than Maroochydore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Maroochydore sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Maroochydore by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,556

$14.05 A$20.13

-12.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$95.7 A$137

-36.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,383

$9.04 A$12.95

-16.81%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,984

$3.77 A$5.40

16.98%

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

$1.74 ₡782

$2.58 A$3.70

-32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡589

$2.14 A$3.07

-38.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,475

$4.10 A$5.88

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,010

$7.45 A$10.67

-40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.55 A$2.22

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,359

$2.61 A$3.73

15.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,129

$2.38 A$3.41

5.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,608

$4.76 A$6.81

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,344

$8.70 A$12.47

-14.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,732

$9.20 A$13.18

14.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,284

$14.88 A$21.31

-6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,055

$3.90 A$5.58

-39.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡722

$3.12 A$4.46

-48.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,159

$2.58 A$3.69

86.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡726

$3.73 A$5.34

-56.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,708

$2.60 A$3.73

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,662

$2.10 A$3.02

75.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$2.53 A$3.63

-55.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$1.48 A$2.12

79.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,328

$23.93 A$34.28

-78.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,944

$10.54 A$15.10

88.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,304

$5.98 A$8.56

-51.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,631

$5.78 A$8.28

-37.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡506

$0.67 A$0.95

67.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$72.2 A$103

0.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡961

$2.01 A$2.88

6.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡706

$1.47 A$2.11

6.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,835

$36.38 A$52.1

-76.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡684

$1.37 A$1.96

10.95%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$26.8K A$38.3K

-19.23%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.3K A$33.3K

48.46%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$217 A$310

-55.55%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$30.09 A$43.10

19.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$54.3 A$77.8

-1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$57.1 A$81.7

25.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.66 A$25.30

97.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,550

$13.18 A$18.88

-40.14%

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

$494 ₡222.3K

$2,157 A$3,091

-77.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.8K A$16.9K

0.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$76.5 A$110

-29.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$53.7 A$76.9

3.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.1K

$105 A$150

-25.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$121 A$173

-34.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.5K

$1,164 A$1,668

-32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡357.3K

$1,131 A$1,620

-29.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,054 A$2,942

91.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡638.4K

$2,024 A$2,899

-29.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$6,041 A$8,653

14.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.7K

$5,962 A$8,541

-79.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.5K

$2,836 A$4,062

-69.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.69

51.49%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Maroochydore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Maroochydore

$1.1K 48% 42.3% $336

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Maroochydore

$356 15.1% 1.2% $4.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Maroochydore

$239 10.2% 12.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Maroochydore

$301 12.8% 62.1% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Maroochydore

$160 6.8% 33.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Maroochydore

$83 3.5% 4.5% $4

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Maroochydore

$84 3.6% 3.3% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,164 in Maroochydore. 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 228% higher in Maroochydore, 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 $96.0 in Maroochydore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $356 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇺 Maroochydore

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

09:07 9:07 AM

16 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

18,342

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Maroochydore 13,600 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Maroochydore

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 Maroochydore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,355 in Maroochydore – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,533 in Maroochydore. 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.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $2,157 in Maroochydore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Maroochydore at $2,355. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maroochydore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,355 in Maroochydore. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Maroochydore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.