Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Matola

For one person, living is cheaper in Matola: $995 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Matola
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Matola Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Matola

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$995

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Matola

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $995 in Matola, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Matola $995

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,520 in Matola, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Matola $1,520

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,045 in Matola, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Matola $2,045

Nosara costs about 85% more than Matola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Matola is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.60 MZN 481

62.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$63.4 MZN 4,010

-3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.32 MZN 463

2.73%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.58 MZN 99.9

179.11%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.82 MZN 52.1

112.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.74 MZN 46.85

77.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.15 MZN 72.9

185.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.52 MZN 96.3

194.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.54 MZN 97.4

1.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.99 MZN 62.8

205.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.66 MZN 105

51.20%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.84 MZN 117

94.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.09 MZN 828

-43.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.65 MZN 357

86.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$4.55 MZN 288

207.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.07 MZN 131

13.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.59 MZN 37.08

172.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.71 MZN 108

180.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.07 MZN 67.9

50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.99 MZN 62.7

283.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.82 MZN 51.8

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.97 MZN 61.2

16.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.53 MZN 33.63

401.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.83 MZN 179

83.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.98 MZN 442

184.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.90 MZN 57.2

222.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.24 MZN 78.4

192.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.59 MZN 101

34.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.20 MZN 75.6

30.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$24.67 MZN 1,560

-65.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.42 MZN 89.8

7.04%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$32.2K MZN 2.0M

-32.93%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.8K MZN 1.4M

51.19%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$39.72 MZN 2,512

142.42%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.80 MZN 493

360.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$77.3 MZN 4,891

-30.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.53 MZN 2,500

81.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.87 MZN 498

0.25%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$130 MZN 8,234

279.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,052 MZN 319.5K

134.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$49.07 MZN 3,104

9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$57.0 MZN 3,606

-2.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$78.1 MZN 4,939

-0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$79.4 MZN 5,019

0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$473 MZN 29.9K

66.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$389 MZN 24.6K

104.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$693 MZN 43.8K

468.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$552 MZN 34.9K

157.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$315 MZN 19.9K

174.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-65.52%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Matola: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Matola

$389 39.1% 51% $405

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Matola

$182 18.3% 48.2% $170

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Matola

$117 11.7% 44.9% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Matola

$125 12.6% 32.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Matola

$119 11.9% 1.2% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Matola

$55 5.6% 36.7% $32

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Matola

$7.6 * 0.8% 91.3% $80

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 $473 in Matola. 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 174% higher in Nosara, 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 $63.0 in Matola. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $182 in Matola – so Matola wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇿 Matola

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

10:17 10:17 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

675,422

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Matola 13,290 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Matola

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 Matola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $995 in Matola – roughly 85% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,492 in Matola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $995 in Matola. That's a gap of about 85%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $130 in Matola. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Matola, where all-in costs run around $995, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Matola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $995 in Matola to $1,839 in Nosara. 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 Matola. 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.