Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Matamoros

For one person, living is cheaper in Matamoros: $1,090 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Matamoros
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Matamoros Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Matamoros

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,090

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Matamoros

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,090 in Matamoros.

Nosara $1,839
Matamoros $1,090

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,832 in Matamoros.

Nosara $2,828
Matamoros $1,832

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,573 in Matamoros.

Nosara $3,818
Matamoros $2,573

Living in Nosara is roughly 69% more expensive than in Matamoros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Matamoros is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.38 MX$229

-0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.67 MX$696

62.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.06 MX$167

-17.00%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.29 MX$60.8

34.04%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.47 MX$27.18

18.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.05 MX$19.40

24.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.26 MX$41.81

45.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.48 MX$82.8

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.63 MX$30.12

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.40 MX$44.43

25.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.70 MX$31.43

47.65%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.57 MX$47.54

38.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.01 MX$167

-17.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.82 MX$144

34.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.74 MX$217

18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.70 MX$49.81

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.73 MX$31.92

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.67 MX$30.82

187.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.05 MX$37.92

-21.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.17 MX$40.01

75.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.09 MX$38.70

76.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.61 MX$29.73

-29.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.22 MX$22.48

118.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.72 MX$87.2

9.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.79 MX$199

84.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.02 MX$37.32

43.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.18 MX$58.8

14.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.65 MX$12.03

72.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.71 MX$50.0

-21.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.25 MX$41.49

-30.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$11.47 MX$212

-25.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.34 MX$24.72

13.43%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.5K MX$435.0K

-8.20%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.9K MX$441.3K

44.53%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$56.2 MX$1,038

71.49%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$25.44 MX$470

41.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.61 MX$492

101.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.88 MX$608

117.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$22.40 MX$414

55.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.48 MX$82.7

76.12%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$223 MX$4,114

121.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,650 MX$85.9K

155.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$53.3 MX$986

1.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$38.50 MX$711

43.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$99.1 MX$1,832

-21.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$79.4 MX$1,467

0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$646 MX$11.9K

21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$337 MX$6,220

135.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$901 MX$16.7K

337.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$826 MX$15.3K

71.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,039 MX$37.7K

239.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,054 MX$19.5K

16.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.3

-23.72%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Matamoros

$337 30.9% 57.6% $458

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Matamoros

$269 24.7% 23.6% $83

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Matamoros

$196 18% 7.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Matamoros

$108 9.9% 41.8% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Matamoros

$122 11.2% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Matamoros

$42 3.8% 52.1% $46

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Matamoros

$17 * 1.5% 81% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $646 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $38.00 in Matamoros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $269 per month, with Matamoros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 Matamoros

🕒 Local time

22:33 10:33 PM

23:33 11:33 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

510,739

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Matamoros 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Matamoros

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 Matamoros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matamoros wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Matamoros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,635 in Matamoros to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $646 in Matamoros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $223 in Matamoros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,090 in Matamoros versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Matamoros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,090 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Matamoros hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Matamoros 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 Matamoros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.