Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Oued Zem

For one person, living is cheaper in Oued Zem: $744 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Oued Zem
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Oued Zem Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Oued Zem

🇲🇦 Morocco

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Oued Zem

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $744 in Oued Zem, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Oued Zem $744

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,188 in Oued Zem, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Oued Zem $1,188

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,633 in Oued Zem, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Oued Zem $1,633

Nosara costs about 147% more than Oued Zem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Oued Zem is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.23 MAD 41.20

191.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$41.45 MAD 404

47.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.16 MAD 69.8

5.03%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.97 MAD 19.23

123.86%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.54 MAD 5.25

222.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.37 MAD 3.56

254.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.08 MAD 49.57

-35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.28 MAD 31.95

36.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.84 MAD 8.16

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.63 MAD 6.09

379.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.89 MAD 18.40

32.80%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.89 MAD 18.42

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.57 MAD 113

-35.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.72 MAD 65.6

56.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.01 MAD 117

16.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.62 MAD 15.82

45.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.38 MAD 13.50

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.82 MAD 8.00

485.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.83 MAD 8.13

93.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.69 MAD 6.71

450.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.76 MAD 7.36

385.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.40 MAD 3.93

182.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.65 MAD 6.34

309.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.15 MAD 40.43

24.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.61 MAD 74.2

161.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.62 MAD 25.51

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.73 MAD 26.60

32.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.52 MAD 5.10

115.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$18.72 MAD 183

288.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.70 MAD 6.86

205.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.75 MAD 7.30

109.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.02 MAD 39.19

111.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.51 MAD 14.72

0.66%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.9K MAD 301.7K

-30.18%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.9K MAD 301.7K

11.55%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$36.62 MAD 357

162.94%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.06 MAD 98.0

256.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$34.17 MAD 333

56.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.12 MAD 284

145.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$20.76 MAD 202

68.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.16 MAD 60.0

28.08%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$185 MAD 1,807

166.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$9,495 MAD 92.6K

24.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$49.33 MAD 481

9.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.51 MAD 395

36.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$93.8 MAD 915

-16.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$65.2 MAD 636

22.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$278 MAD 2,712

183.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$165 MAD 1,607

381.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$478 MAD 4,664

723.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$246 MAD 2,398

477.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,115 MAD 10.9K

519.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$767 MAD 7,480

59.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$239 MAD 2,333

260.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.55

89.45%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Oued Zem: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Oued Zem

$165 22.2% 79.2% $629

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Oued Zem

$205 27.5% 41.9% $148

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Oued Zem

$115 15.4% 45.9% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Oued Zem

$81 10.9% 56.5% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Oued Zem

$112 15.1% 6.7% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Oued Zem

$41 5.6% 52.6% $46

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Oued Zem

$25 3.4% 71% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $278 in Oued Zem. 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 261% 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 $41.00 in Oued Zem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $205 – making Oued Zem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇦 Oued Zem

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

08:59 8:59 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

95,267

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Oued Zem 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Oued Zem

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 Oued Zem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $744 in Oued Zem – roughly 147% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,116 in Oued Zem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 288% less in Oued Zem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $185 in Oued Zem. 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 Oued Zem, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Oued Zem 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 $744 in Oued Zem 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 Oued Zem. 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.