Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $474 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mary

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $474 in Mary.

Nosara $1,837
Mary $474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $705 in Mary.

Nosara $2,775
Mary $705

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $936 in Mary.

Nosara $3,712
Mary $936

Living in Nosara is roughly 288% more expensive than in Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Mary is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$11.60 TMT 38.88

5.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.30 TMT 27.79

-9.16%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$8.78 TMT 29.42

-50.91%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$12.63 TMT 42.31

-86.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.41 TMT 4.72

-4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$14.48 TMT 48.50

-77.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$11.57 TMT 38.77

-61.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.89 TMT 9.67

-45.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$6.81 TMT 22.80

-47.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.23 TMT 7.48

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.38 TMT 4.61

20.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.05 TMT 6.87

81.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.73 TMT 5.81

106.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.16 TMT 3.90

119.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$16.92 TMT 56.7

-70.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

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

$208 TMT 698

320.76%

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 Mary: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Mary

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Mary

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Mary

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Mary

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Mary

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mary

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mary

–

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 321% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇲 Mary

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

12:09 12:09 PM

11 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

123,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, 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).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mary 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mary wins on cost – living expenses run 288% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 321% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 258% 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 $474 in Mary – a 288% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $474 in Mary versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mary delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $474 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mary hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Mary 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 Mary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 288% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.