Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Msaken

For one person, living is cheaper in Msaken: $646 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Msaken
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Msaken Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Msaken

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Msaken

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $646 in Msaken.

Nosara $1,839
Msaken $646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,020 in Msaken.

Nosara $2,828
Msaken $1,020

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,394 in Msaken.

Nosara $3,818
Msaken $1,394

Living in Nosara is roughly 185% more expensive than in Msaken, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Msaken is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.93 TND 14.76

150.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$21.88 TND 65.5

179.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.86 TND 17.55

28.33%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.03 TND 3.08

328.16%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.80 TND 2.39

117.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.37 TND 1.11

254.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.71 TND 5.11

91.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.13 TND 6.38

109.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.48 TND 1.45

225.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.30 TND 0.90

906.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.71 TND 5.12

46.78%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.76 TND 5.26

102.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.69 TND 41.00

-45.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.65 TND 16.93

86.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.36 TND 43.00

-2.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.04 TND 6.10

15.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.60 TND 10.78

-55.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.11 TND 3.33

332.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.81 TND 2.43

98.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.86 TND 2.59

341.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.63 TND 1.88

485.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.40 TND 1.20

182.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.32 TND 0.95

731.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.76 TND 11.26

37.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.94 TND 17.78

234.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.07 TND 3.20

171.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.31 TND 3.92

177.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.34 TND 1.02

229.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.32 TND 0.96

568.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.32 TND 0.96

390.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$3.91 TND 11.71

117.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.86 TND 2.58

76.74%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$38.9K TND 116.4K

-44.41%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.6K TND 106.8K

-3.17%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$59.7 TND 179

61.32%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.20 TND 27.56

290.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.21 TND 60.5

165.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$21.29 TND 63.8

236.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.92 TND 17.73

33.28%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$91.9 TND 275

437.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,156 TND 9,452

275.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$43.28 TND 130

24.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$58.7 TND 176

-5.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$117 TND 351

-33.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$86.0 TND 258

-7.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$108 TND 325

626.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$93.1 TND 279

753.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$203 TND 607

1842.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$150 TND 450

844.69%

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

$244 TND 731

253.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.67

-19.21%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Msaken: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Msaken

$93 14.4% 88.3% $701

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Msaken

$203 31.5% 42.3% $149

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Msaken

$87 13.4% 59% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Msaken

$89 13.8% 52% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Msaken

$137 21.3% 14.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Msaken

$33 5.1% 62.1% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Msaken

$3.3 * 0.5% 96.2% $84

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 $108 in Msaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 254% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $22.00 in Msaken for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $203 per month, with Msaken cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇳 Msaken

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

00:13 12:13 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

56,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Msaken 9,920 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Msaken

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 Msaken: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Msaken is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 185% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 254% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $108 in Msaken. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $91.9 in Msaken. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Msaken – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $646 in Msaken versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Msaken but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Msaken the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Msaken is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Msaken 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 Msaken gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.