Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mazatlan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazatlan: $1,436 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Mazatlan
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Mazatlan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Mazatlan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mazatlan

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,436 in Mazatlan, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Mazatlan $1,436

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,041 in Mazatlan, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Mazatlan $2,041

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,645 in Mazatlan, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Mazatlan $2,645

Nosara costs about 28% more than Mazatlan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Mazatlan sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Mazatlan by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$10.96 MX$199

11.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$46.29 MX$842

30.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.37 MX$152

-9.92%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.40 MX$61.8

26.76%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.45 MX$26.29

18.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.10 MX$19.94

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.13 MX$38.67

52.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.83 MX$51.5

58.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.64 MX$29.86

-4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.59 MX$47.05

22.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.33 MX$24.22

81.95%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.74 MX$49.92

30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.06 MX$147

-7.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.94 MX$126

50.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.67 MX$140

78.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.72 MX$49.43

-14.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.70 MX$30.88

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.62 MX$29.51

192.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.52 MX$9.43

219.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.63 MX$29.72

128.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.37 MX$24.89

160.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.60 MX$29.17

-31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.20 MX$76.4

17.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$15.98 MX$291

25.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.03 MX$36.89

37.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.09 MX$56.2

14.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.69 MX$12.60

72.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$41.84 MX$761

72.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.71 MX$67.4

-39.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.45 MX$44.58

-36.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.53 MX$27.91

2.61%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.4K MX$389.3K

1.86%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.8K MX$450.8K

39.76%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$59.0 MX$1,074

58.28%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$46.93 MX$854

-25.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$43.53 MX$792

18.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$45.05 MX$819

58.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$4.39 MX$79.9

78.59%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$88.4 MX$1,609

453.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$2,007 MX$36.5K

491.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$63.9 MX$1,162

-16.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$27.58 MX$502

102.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$112 MX$2,036

-29.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$84.1 MX$1,530

-6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$788 MX$14.3K

-0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$619 MX$11.3K

25.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,241 MX$22.6K

211.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$840 MX$15.3K

67.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,579 MX$28.7K

341.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,051 MX$19.1K

14.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$533 MX$9,694

64.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.6

-25.69%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mazatlan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Mazatlan

$619 43.4% 20.6% $161

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Mazatlan

$236 * 16.5% 32.6% $114

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Mazatlan

$180 12.6% 14.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Mazatlan

$150 10.5% 17% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Mazatlan

$129 9.1% 7.5% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mazatlan

$54 3.8% 38.2% $33

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mazatlan

$61 4.2% 30.3% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $788 in Mazatlan. 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 64% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $46.00 in Mazatlan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $236 – making Mazatlan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 Mazatlan

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

00:11 12:11 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

441,975

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mazatlan 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mazatlan

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 Mazatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,436 in Mazatlan – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,155 in Mazatlan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 72% less in Mazatlan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $88.4 in Mazatlan. 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 Mazatlan, where all-in costs run around $1,436, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Mazatlan 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 $1,436 in Mazatlan to $1,837 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 Mazatlan. 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.