Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mersa Matruh

For one person, living is cheaper in Mersa Matruh: $457 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Mersa Matruh
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Mersa Matruh Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Mersa Matruh

🇪🇬 Egypt

$457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mersa Matruh

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $457 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Mersa Matruh $457

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $749 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Mersa Matruh $749

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,040 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Mersa Matruh $1,040

Nosara costs about 301% more than Mersa Matruh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Mersa Matruh is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,584

$4.20 E£234

193.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.7K

$19.05 E£1,062

221.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,512

$4.72 E£264

64.41%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡2,009

$1.27 E£70.6

249.61%

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

$1.79 ₡810

$0.33 E£18.14

442.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡585

$0.11 E£6.01

1072.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,464

$1.36 E£75.8

138.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡2,003

$2.79 E£156

58.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡702

$0.87 E£48.65

78.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,392

$0.66 E£37.07

366.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,143

$0.65 E£36.07

289.23%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,560

$1.19 E£66.1

189.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,313

$3.80 E£212

92.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,635

$4.24 E£237

141.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,382

$9.23 E£515

52.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,036

$1.54 E£86.1

48.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡744

$0.75 E£41.82

118.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,168

$0.55 E£30.85

770.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡742

$0.35 E£19.76

368.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,743

$0.26 E£14.59

1380.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,696

$0.30 E£16.70

1150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$0.27 E£15.19

303.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,170

$0.22 E£11.99

1077.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,315

$1.85 E£103

176.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡9,010

$5.67 E£316

251.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,266

$1.25 E£69.6

124.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,594

$2.28 E£127

54.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡554

$0.21 E£11.72

480.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡982

$0.56 E£31.13

287.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡704

$0.17 E£9.23

817.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,921

$1.20 E£67.1

622.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡703

$0.43 E£24.06

260.47%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$32.5K E£1.8M

6.36%

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

$38.7K ₡17.5M

$27.1K E£1.5M

43.13%

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

$94.8 ₡42.9K

$14.05 E£784

574.88%

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

$36.15 ₡16.4K

$6.68 E£373

441.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡24.0K

$13.50 E£753

293.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.4K

$15.88 E£885

364.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,579

$2.91 E£162

171.82%

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

$490 ₡221.8K

$85.0 E£4,740

476.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$2,090 E£116.6K

468.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.8K

$33.72 E£1,881

62.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.3K

$45.91 E£2,560

21.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.4K

$128 E£7,112

-36.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.2K

$57.4 E£3,202

35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡362.3K

$128 E£7,152

524.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡357.2K

$76.7 E£4,278

929.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$256 E£14.3K

1466.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡637.6K

$144 E£8,048

876.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$772 E£43.0K

815.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡559.2K

$354 E£19.7K

249.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡401.1K

$94.2 E£5,253

841.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

21.33

-59.59%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Mersa Matruh

$77 16.8% 90.3% $713

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Mersa Matruh

$126 27.6% 63.9% $223

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Mersa Matruh

$77 16.9% 63.8% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Mersa Matruh

$34 7.5% 81.4% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Mersa Matruh

$119 26% 1.6% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Mersa Matruh

$22 4.7% 75.8% $68

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Mersa Matruh

$2.2 * 0.5% 97.5% $87

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $128 in Mersa Matruh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Nosara are about 9.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $19 in Mersa Matruh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $126 – making Mersa Matruh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇬 Mersa Matruh

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

07:43 7:43 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

140,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR

100 EGP = 1.79 USD

100 EGP = 1.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 55.77 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.57 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mersa Matruh 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mersa Matruh

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 Mersa Matruh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 301% more than Mersa Matruh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $686 in Mersa Matruh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mersa Matruh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $128 there versus $801 in Nosara.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $19 in Mersa Matruh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 177% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mersa Matruh, where all-in costs run around $457, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Mersa Matruh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mersa Matruh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mersa Matruh. 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.