Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sale

For one person, living is cheaper in Sale: $635 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Sale
🇲🇦 Morocco
$635
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sale

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $635 in Sale, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Sale $635

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,044 in Sale, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Sale $1,044

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,453 in Sale, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Sale $1,453

Nosara costs about 190% more than Sale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Sale is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Sale
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$3.63 MAD 35.42
240.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$17.82 MAD 174
243.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$7.19 MAD 70.1
4.59%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$1.76 MAD 17.20
150.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$0.60 MAD 5.81
190.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.32 MAD 3.16
309.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$2.63 MAD 25.63
24.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$3.05 MAD 29.76
46.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Sale
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$0.90 MAD 8.77
73.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$0.65 MAD 6.36
364.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.90 MAD 18.57
32.11%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$1.86 MAD 18.10
91.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$11.31 MAD 110
-34.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$6.89 MAD 67.2
52.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$12.38 MAD 121
12.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$1.34 MAD 13.05
75.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.18 MAD 11.48
36.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$0.84 MAD 8.23
471.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$0.90 MAD 8.76
78.89%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$0.68 MAD 6.62
458.82%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$0.73 MAD 7.15
405.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$0.47 MAD 4.58
140.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.62 MAD 6.03
329.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$3.75 MAD 36.51
38.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$4.74 MAD 46.23
319.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$2.23 MAD 21.75
30.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$2.13 MAD 20.81
70.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Sale
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$0.55 MAD 5.32
103.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$23.03 MAD 225
215.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$0.69 MAD 6.78
210.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$0.50 MAD 4.85
214.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$4.03 MAD 39.30
111.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.48 MAD 14.46
2.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$31.0K MAD 301.9K
-30.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$30.8K MAD 300.4K
12.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Sale
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$37.71 MAD 368
155.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$10.53 MAD 103
240.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$40.93 MAD 399
30.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Sale
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$16.62 MAD 162
330.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$40.69 MAD 397
-14.20%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$5.29 MAD 51.6
49.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Sale
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$104 MAD 1,010
377.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$5,903 MAD 57.6K
100.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Sale
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$32.27 MAD 315
67.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$46.59 MAD 454
18.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$71.9 MAD 701
8.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$66.4 MAD 648
19.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Sale
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$208 MAD 2,025
279.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$102 MAD 994
679.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$356 MAD 3,473
1005.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$260 MAD 2,532
446.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$1,126 MAD 11.0K
513.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$838 MAD 8,167
46.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Sale
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$516 MAD 5,033
67.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
5
72.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sale: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Sale
$102 87.2% $692
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Sale
$195 44.5% $157
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Sale
$95 55.3% $117
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Sale
$89 52% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Sale
$98 18.6% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Sale
$27 68.9% $60
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Sale
$28 67.4% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $208 in Sale. 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 67% 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 $18.00 in Sale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $195 – making Sale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇲🇦 Sale
🕒 Local time
10:10 10:10 AM
17:10 5:10 PM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
890,403
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Sale 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Sale

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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Sale compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $635 in Sale – roughly 190% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Sale?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $952 in Sale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Sale?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sale, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Sale?
Public transport costs about 215% less in Sale. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Sale?
Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $104 in Sale. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sale, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Sale?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $635 in Sale to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Sale safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Sale?
If budget matters most, go with Sale. 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.

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