Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tulum

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulum: $1,252 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tulum
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Tulum Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Tulum

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tulum

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,252 in Tulum, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Tulum $1,252

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,131 in Tulum, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Tulum $2,131

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,010 in Tulum, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Tulum $3,010

Nosara costs about 47% more than Tulum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Tulum is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$8.26 MX$150

47.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$56.4 MX$1,026

6.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.13 MX$148

-7.26%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.87 MX$70.4

11.37%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.14 MX$20.80

50.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.18 MX$21.42

14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.94 MX$53.5

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.80 MX$69.1

17.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.58 MX$28.75

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.00 MX$36.31

58.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.74 MX$31.71

39.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.89 MX$34.29

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$5.55 MX$101

33.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$7.93 MX$144

31.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$9.09 MX$165

50.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.66 MX$48.31

-12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.42 MX$25.75

13.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.52 MX$27.67

211.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.50 MX$27.34

10.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.28 MX$41.45

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.86 MX$33.77

91.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.51 MX$27.40

-27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.83 MX$15.11

207.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.39 MX$79.9

12.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.35 MX$152

139.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.39 MX$25.31

100.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.32 MX$24.00

167.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.40 MX$25.48

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.81 MX$51.2

-20.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.44 MX$44.47

-36.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$5.58 MX$102

58.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.52 MX$27.71

3.29%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.4K MX$389.2K

1.89%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$23.8K MX$433.0K

45.52%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$106 MX$1,927

-11.80%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$16.87 MX$307

108.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$34.97 MX$636

47.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$34.35 MX$625

107.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.45 MX$117

21.55%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$263 MX$4,776

86.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$3,022 MX$55.0K

293.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$42.26 MX$769

26.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$33.26 MX$605

67.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$97.4 MX$1,772

-18.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$60.2 MX$1,095

31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$614 MX$11.2K

28.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$539 MX$9,808

44.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,504 MX$27.4K

156.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,316 MX$23.9K

6.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,162 MX$57.5K

120.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,818 MX$33.1K

-33.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$784 MX$14.3K

11.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.8

-20.19%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tulum: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Tulum

$539 42.8% 30.9% $241

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Tulum

$222 17.6% 36.5% $127

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Tulum

$169 13.4% 19.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Tulum

$158 12.5% 12.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Tulum

$105 8.3% 12.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tulum

$47 3.8% 45.8% $40

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tulum

$21 * 1.6% 76.2% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $614 in Tulum. 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 12% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $56.0 in Tulum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $222 – making Tulum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 Tulum

🕒 Local time

20:46 8:46 PM

21:46 9:46 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

46,721

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Tulum 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tulum

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 Tulum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,252 in Tulum – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,878 in Tulum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $56.0 in Tulum. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tulum, where all-in costs run around $1,252, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Tulum 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 $1,252 in Tulum to $1,837 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 Tulum. 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.