Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mataro

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Mataro: $1,839 and $1,845 a month, rent and utilities included.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Mataro
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,845
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mataro

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,845 in Mataro, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Mataro $1,845

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,691 in Mataro, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Mataro $2,691

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,536 in Mataro, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Mataro $3,536

Nosara and Mataro have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Nosara and Mataro sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Mataro by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Mataro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$16.49 €14.67
-25.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$56.6 €50.3
8.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$13.31 €11.84
-43.50%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$2.11 €1.88
109.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.32 €2.06
-25.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.93 €1.72
-32.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$3.88 €3.45
-15.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$3.29 €2.93
35.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Mataro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.17 €1.04
33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.99 €1.77
51.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.50 €1.33
67.33%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$3.90 €3.47
-8.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$16.84 €14.98
-55.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$8.84 €7.86
19.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$19.92 €17.72
-29.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.71 €2.41
-13.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$2.04 €1.81
-21.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$2.59 €2.30
85.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$2.74 €2.44
-41.24%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$2.01 €1.79
89.05%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$2.27 €2.02
62.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.53 €1.36
-26.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.88 €0.79
202.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$6.32 €5.63
-18.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$5.43 €4.83
266.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.15 €1.02
152.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$2.29 €2.03
58.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Mataro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$2.57 €2.28
-56.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$35.25 €31.35
106.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$2.31 €2.06
-7.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.02 €0.91
53.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$29.23 €26.00
-70.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.79 €1.59
-15.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$34.5K €30.7K
-37.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$28.4K €25.3K
21.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Mataro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$181 €161
-46.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$12.10 €10.77
196.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$28.95 €25.75
85.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Mataro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$60.7 €54.0
17.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$13.94 €12.40
150.43%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$10.51 €9.35
-24.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Mataro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$498 €443
-0.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$7,969 €7,089
48.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Mataro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$87.2 €77.6
-38.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$39.03 €34.71
41.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$97.8 €87.0
-20.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$112 €99.5
-28.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Mataro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$954 €849
-17.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$791 €704
0.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,350 €1,200
191.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$1,179 €1,048
20.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$3,404 €3,028
103.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$2,818 €2,507
-56.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Mataro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$1,889 €1,681
-54.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
3.28
162.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mataro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Mataro
$791 0.4% $3.1
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Mataro
$306 13.1% $46
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Mataro
$240 13.4% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Mataro
$222 19.4% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Mataro
$151 25.9% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Mataro
$82 6.4% $5.6
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Mataro
$53 39.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $954 in Mataro. 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 119% higher in Mataro. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $57.0 in Mataro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $306 – making Mataro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇪🇸 Mataro
🕒 Local time
12:52 12:52 PM
20:52 8:52 PM
8 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
129,870
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Mataro 9,120 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Mataro

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 Mataro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Mataro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,768 in Mataro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Mataro?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $57.0 in Mataro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Mataro?
Public transport costs about 106% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Mataro at $1,845. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mataro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Mataro?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $1,845 in Mataro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Mataro safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Mataro?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mataro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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