Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Safi

For one person, living is cheaper in Safi: $585 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Safi
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Safi Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Safi

🇲🇦 Morocco

$585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Safi

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $585 in Safi, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Safi $585

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $917 in Safi, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Safi $917

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,250 in Safi, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Safi $1,250

Nosara costs about 214% more than Safi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Safi is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.04 MAD 29.65

306.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$20.72 MAD 202

195.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.55 MAD 44.41

65.27%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.54 MAD 15.00

186.36%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.54 MAD 5.23

222.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.34 MAD 3.28

285.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.52 MAD 14.82

115.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.52 MAD 14.80

194.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.82 MAD 7.95

90.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.47 MAD 4.55

542.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.53 MAD 14.96

64.05%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.73 MAD 16.84

106.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.87 MAD 67.0

8.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.85 MAD 66.8

53.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.98 MAD 87.6

55.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.15 MAD 11.20

104.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.16 MAD 11.34

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.82 MAD 7.96

485.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.67 MAD 6.52

140.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.61 MAD 5.91

522.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.80 MAD 7.84

361.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.40 MAD 3.92

182.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.57 MAD 5.51

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.72 MAD 36.26

39.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.35 MAD 71.6

170.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.86 MAD 18.09

55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.78 MAD 17.33

103.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.44 MAD 4.30

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.48 MAD 102

593.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.71 MAD 6.93

201.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.55 MAD 5.32

185.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.02 MAD 58.7

41.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.45 MAD 14.17

4.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$31.4K MAD 305.7K

-31.08%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.6K MAD 298.3K

12.83%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$35.89 MAD 350

168.29%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.31 MAD 100

248.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$33.94 MAD 331

57.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$18.83 MAD 184

280.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.27 MAD 51.3

562.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.54 MAD 34.55

122.88%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$97.5 MAD 950

406.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,667 MAD 35.8K

223.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$39.69 MAD 387

35.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.43 MAD 326

65.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$93.5 MAD 911

-16.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$36.63 MAD 357

117.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$279 MAD 2,718

182.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$135 MAD 1,319

487.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$466 MAD 4,548

744.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$246 MAD 2,395

477.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$892 MAD 8,693

675.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$560 MAD 5,458

118.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$443 MAD 4,318

94.99%

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 Safi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Safi

$135 23.1% 83% $659

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Safi

$166 28.4% 52.8% $186

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Safi

$71 12.1% 66.7% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Safi

$80 13.7% 56.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Safi

$91 15.6% 23.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Safi

$26 4.4% 70.3% $61

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Safi

$16 2.7% 82% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $279 in Safi. 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 95% 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 $21.00 in Safi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $166 – making Safi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇦 Safi

🕒 Local time

00:32 12:32 AM

07:32 7:32 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

323,888

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Safi 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Safi

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 Safi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $585 in Safi – roughly 214% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $878 in Safi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 593% less in Safi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $97.5 in Safi. 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 Safi, where all-in costs run around $585, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Safi 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 $585 in Safi 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 Safi. 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.