Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouarzazate and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouarzazate: $707 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Ouarzazate
Learn more

Ouarzazate Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Ouarzazate

🇲🇦 Morocco

$707

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ouarzazate and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ouarzazate and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $707 per month in Ouarzazate vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Ouarzazate $707
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in Ouarzazate vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Ouarzazate $1,102
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,498 per month in Ouarzazate vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Ouarzazate $1,498
Nosara $3,818

Ouarzazate is about 62% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ouarzazate sits 48% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MAD 36.29

$12.35 ₡5,539

-69.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.53 MAD 307

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-48.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 MAD 60.3

$7.52 ₡3,373

-17.82%

Cappuccino

$2.21 MAD 21.56

$4.41 ₡1,978

-49.89%

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

$0.64 MAD 6.21

$1.74 ₡780

-63.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 MAD 5.91

$1.31 ₡587

-53.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 MAD 65.2

$3.28 ₡1,471

103.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 MAD 52.7

$4.47 ₡2,004

20.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 MAD 8.30

$1.56 ₡701

-45.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 MAD 8.38

$3.02 ₡1,355

-71.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MAD 15.03

$2.51 ₡1,125

-38.65%

Eggs

$1.56 MAD 15.24

$3.57 ₡1,603

-56.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 MAD 75.7

$7.43 ₡3,333

4.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MAD 44.46

$10.52 ₡4,717

-56.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 MAD 114

$13.97 ₡6,265

-16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$0.69 MAD 6.73

$2.35 ₡1,052

-70.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MAD 11.83

$1.61 ₡720

-24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 MAD 5.88

$4.80 ₡2,152

-87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.75

$1.61 ₡724

-50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.97

$3.80 ₡1,703

-81.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.33

$3.69 ₡1,657

-79.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.24

$1.13 ₡507

-79.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.86

$2.66 ₡1,191

-77.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MAD 39.42

$5.18 ₡2,321

-22.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 MAD 73.6

$19.88 ₡8,916

-62.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 MAD 21.63

$2.90 ₡1,300

-23.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 MAD 31.85

$3.63 ₡1,626

-9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MAD 5.30

$1.12 ₡504

-51.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.55 MAD 191

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-73.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 MAD 4.85

$2.14 ₡958

-76.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 MAD 6.34

$1.57 ₡703

-58.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 MAD 69.2

$8.52 ₡3,823

-16.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MAD 13.88

$1.52 ₡682

-6.58%

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

$33.6K MAD 327.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

55.46%

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

$29.7K MAD 289.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-13.99%

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

$35.55 MAD 347

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-63.08%

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

$4.94 MAD 48.17

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-86.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.25 MAD 256

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-51.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.66 MAD 260

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-62.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.51 MAD 220

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-35.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 MAD 62.3

$7.89 ₡3,539

-19.01%

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

$99.3 MAD 968

$494 ₡221.6K

-79.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,432 MAD 82.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-28.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.76 MAD 310

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-41.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 MAD 441

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-18.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 MAD 817

$77.9 ₡34.9K

7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 MAD 817

$79.6 ₡35.7K

5.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 MAD 2,656

$788 ₡353.4K

-65.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 MAD 1,641

$794 ₡356.2K

-78.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MAD 4,113

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-89.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 MAD 2,404

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-82.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,189 MAD 11.6K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-82.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$821 MAD 8,001

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-32.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

8.62

-47.80%

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

Last update for Ouarzazate: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ouarzazate

$172 24.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 104% $180

Accommodation & Living

Ouarzazate

$168 23.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 372% $626

Eating Out

Ouarzazate

$124 17.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 70.7% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Ouarzazate

$110 15.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9.1% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ouarzazate

$67 9.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 178% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Ouarzazate

$39 5.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 122% $48

Getting Around

Ouarzazate

$25 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 242% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Ouarzazate versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ouarzazate versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $352 – making Ouarzazate the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Ouarzazate

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

00:27 12:27 AM

7 h behind Ouarzazate

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,067

4,912

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

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).

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).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ouarzazate Nosara 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ouarzazate
Nosara

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

Ouarzazate vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $707 in Ouarzazate, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 160% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,060 per month in Ouarzazate and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 272% less in Ouarzazate. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $99.3 per month in Ouarzazate and $494 in Nosara. 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 Ouarzazate, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ouarzazate 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 $707 in Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate. 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.