Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Marsascala

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsascala: $1,737 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Marsascala
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Marsascala Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Marsascala

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Marsascala

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,737 in Marsascala, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Marsascala $1,737

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,651 in Marsascala, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Marsascala $2,651

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,564 in Marsascala, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Marsascala $3,564

Nosara costs about 6% more than Marsascala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Marsascala sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Marsascala by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.22 €17.10

-35.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$87.3 €77.7

-29.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$13.60 €12.10

-44.71%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.29 €2.04

92.58%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.44 €2.17

-28.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.32 €1.17

-0.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.95 €3.51

-16.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.41 €3.03

31.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.23 €1.09

26.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.81 €0.72

272.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.26 €2.90

-23.01%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.34 €3.86

-17.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.44 €4.84

36.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.26 €5.57

68.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.78 €12.25

1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.26 €2.90

-27.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.46 €2.19

-34.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.26 €2.01

112.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.95 €2.63

-45.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.53 €2.25

50.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.03 €1.81

81.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.25 €2.00

-49.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.90 €0.80

195.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.25 €5.56

-17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.85 €6.09

190.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.63 €1.45

77.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.34 €2.08

55.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.16 €1.93

-48.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.16 €4.59

-58.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.25 €2.00

-30.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.63 €12.12

-37.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.46 €1.30

4.11%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$31.0K €27.5K

-30.20%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.2K €31.3K

-1.97%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$100 €89.0

-3.75%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$20.94 €18.63

71.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$28.06 €24.96

90.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$55.6 €49.48

28.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$22.26 €19.80

56.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.20 €9.08

-22.65%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$223 €198

121.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,441 €3,950

167.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$86.2 €76.6

-37.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.06 €26.74

84.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$86.1 €76.6

-9.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$80.6 €71.7

-1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,007 €896

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$844 €751

-5.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,534 €1,364

156.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,315 €1,169

7.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,842 €2,528

143.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,303 €2,049

-46.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,115 €1,881

-59.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.9

197.24%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Marsascala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Marsascala

$844 48.6% 6.2% $49

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Marsascala

$253 14.5% 28.3% $100

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Marsascala

$264 15.2% 24.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Marsascala

$149 8.6% 19.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Marsascala

$127 7.3% 6% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Marsascala

$76 4.4% 13% $11

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Marsascala

$25 * 1.4% 71.3% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,007 in Marsascala. 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 145% higher in Marsascala, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $87.0 in Marsascala. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $253 in Marsascala – so Marsascala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇹 Marsascala

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

23:13 11:13 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

12,134

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Marsascala 10,260 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Marsascala

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 Marsascala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,606 in Marsascala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $87.0 in Marsascala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Marsascala, where all-in costs run around $1,737, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Marsascala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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