Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabat: $834 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
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Rabat Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$834

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rabat 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 Rabat and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $834 per month in Rabat vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Rabat $834
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,433 per month in Rabat vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Rabat $1,433
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,031 per month in Rabat vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Rabat $2,031
Nosara $3,712

Rabat is about 55% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rabat sits 38% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 MAD 42.37

$12.22 ₡5,509

-65.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.69 MAD 404

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-32.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 MAD 68.6

$7.54 ₡3,399

-8.36%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MAD 19.00

$4.31 ₡1,941

-55.45%

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

$0.56 MAD 5.58

$1.72 ₡773

-67.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MAD 3.49

$1.35 ₡608

-74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 MAD 50.2

$3.24 ₡1,459

56.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MAD 30.65

$4.48 ₡2,018

-31.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.53

$1.57 ₡707

-45.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MAD 6.41

$3.17 ₡1,429

-79.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MAD 18.94

$2.42 ₡1,091

-21.07%

Eggs

$1.84 MAD 18.28

$3.57 ₡1,609

-48.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 MAD 109

$7.43 ₡3,349

48.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 MAD 65.8

$10.42 ₡4,697

-36.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 MAD 119

$13.66 ₡6,156

-12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 MAD 15.78

$2.32 ₡1,044

-31.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MAD 13.44

$1.61 ₡728

-15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 MAD 8.23

$4.74 ₡2,138

-82.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 MAD 8.74

$1.66 ₡747

-46.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 7.06

$3.72 ₡1,679

-80.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.80

$3.57 ₡1,611

-77.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.90

$1.10 ₡497

-64.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.76

$2.55 ₡1,149

-77.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MAD 40.64

$4.95 ₡2,232

-17.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 MAD 70.9

$20.01 ₡9,020

-64.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MAD 26.02

$2.79 ₡1,256

-6.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 25.90

$3.53 ₡1,589

-26.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MAD 4.86

$1.19 ₡537

-58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.98 MAD 248

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-65.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MAD 7.13

$2.24 ₡1,011

-67.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MAD 5.76

$1.55 ₡701

-62.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.64

$1.57 ₡708

-5.73%

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

$30.2K MAD 299.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

38.41%

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

$29.6K MAD 293.6K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-14.53%

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

$35.22 MAD 349

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-62.31%

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

$9.44 MAD 93.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-73.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.23 MAD 330

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-35.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.99 MAD 278

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-60.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 MAD 233

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-33.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 MAD 59.2

$7.84 ₡3,535

-23.85%

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

$180 MAD 1,786

$490 ₡220.7K

-63.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,210 MAD 91.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-22.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.06 MAD 457

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-13.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 MAD 388

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-29.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 MAD 906

$79.3 ₡35.7K

15.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 MAD 644

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 MAD 5,171

$786 ₡354.3K

-33.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MAD 2,661

$780 ₡351.6K

-65.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MAD 9,485

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-75.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 MAD 6,809

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-51.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 MAD 19.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-71.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MAD 11.3K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-5.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$695 MAD 6,893

$876 ₡395.0K

-20.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

8.62

-47.56%

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

Last update for Rabat: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabat

$268 32%

Nosara

$780 43% 191% $512

Groceries & Markets

Rabat

$201 23.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 74% $149

Eating Out

Rabat

$113 13.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 85.2% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Rabat

$109 13%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 10.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabat

$78 9.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 131% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Rabat

$40 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 118% $47

Getting Around

Rabat

$31 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 184% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Rabat versus $786 in Nosara. 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 26% 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 $41.00 in Rabat versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $350 – making Rabat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Rabat

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

19:38 7:38 PM

7 h behind Rabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,895 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.08 USD

100 MAD = 8.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.92 MAD (1 MAD = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.12 MAD (100 MAD = 8.99 EUR).

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).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rabat Nosara 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rabat
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

Rabat vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $834 in Rabat, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 120% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,251 per month in Rabat and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 189% less in Rabat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $180 per month in Rabat and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rabat, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Rabat 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 $834 in Rabat 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 Rabat. 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.