Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sale and Nosara

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.

31

Cost of Living Index in Sale
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Sale Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sale

🇲🇦 Morocco

$635

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Sale $635
Nosara $1,839

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

Sale $1,044
Nosara $2,828

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

Sale $1,453
Nosara $3,818

Sale is about 65% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MAD 35.42

$12.35 ₡5,539

-70.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.82 MAD 174

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-70.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 MAD 70.1

$7.52 ₡3,373

-4.39%

Cappuccino

$1.76 MAD 17.20

$4.41 ₡1,978

-60.09%

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

$0.60 MAD 5.81

$1.74 ₡780

-65.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MAD 3.16

$1.31 ₡587

-75.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 MAD 25.63

$3.28 ₡1,471

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 MAD 29.76

$4.47 ₡2,004

-31.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 MAD 8.77

$1.56 ₡701

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MAD 6.36

$3.02 ₡1,355

-78.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MAD 18.57

$2.51 ₡1,125

-24.30%

Eggs

$1.86 MAD 18.10

$3.57 ₡1,603

-47.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 MAD 110

$7.43 ₡3,333

52.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 MAD 67.2

$10.52 ₡4,717

-34.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.38 MAD 121

$13.97 ₡6,265

-11.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 MAD 13.05

$2.35 ₡1,052

-42.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 MAD 11.48

$1.61 ₡720

-26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 MAD 8.23

$4.80 ₡2,152

-82.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.76

$1.61 ₡724

-44.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 MAD 6.62

$3.80 ₡1,703

-82.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 7.15

$3.69 ₡1,657

-80.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 MAD 4.58

$1.13 ₡507

-58.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MAD 6.03

$2.66 ₡1,191

-76.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 MAD 36.51

$5.18 ₡2,321

-27.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.74 MAD 46.23

$19.88 ₡8,916

-76.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 MAD 21.75

$2.90 ₡1,300

-23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 MAD 20.81

$3.63 ₡1,626

-41.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MAD 5.32

$1.12 ₡504

-50.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.03 MAD 225

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-68.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 MAD 6.78

$2.14 ₡958

-67.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MAD 4.85

$1.57 ₡703

-68.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 MAD 39.30

$8.52 ₡3,823

-52.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.46

$1.52 ₡682

-2.63%

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

$31.0K MAD 301.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

43.32%

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

$30.8K MAD 300.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-10.73%

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

$37.71 MAD 368

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-60.84%

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

$10.53 MAD 103

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-70.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.93 MAD 399

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-23.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.62 MAD 162

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-76.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.69 MAD 397

$34.91 ₡15.7K

16.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MAD 51.6

$7.89 ₡3,539

-32.95%

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

$104 MAD 1,010

$494 ₡221.6K

-79.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,903 MAD 57.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-50.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.27 MAD 315

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-40.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.59 MAD 454

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-15.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 MAD 701

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.4 MAD 648

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-16.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 MAD 2,025

$788 ₡353.4K

-73.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 MAD 994

$794 ₡356.2K

-87.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 MAD 3,473

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-90.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 MAD 2,532

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-81.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,126 MAD 11.0K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-83.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$838 MAD 8,167

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-31.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$516 MAD 5,033

$864 ₡387.3K

-40.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for Sale: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sale

$195 30.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 80.3% $157

Accommodation & Living

Sale

$102 16.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 679% $692

Clothing & Footwear

Sale

$98 15.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 22.9% $22

Eating Out

Sale

$95 14.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 124% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sale

$89 14.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 108% $97

Getting Around

Sale

$28 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 207% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Sale

$27 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 221% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $208 in Sale 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.

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 $18.00 in Sale versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $352 – making Sale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Sale

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

09:14 9:14 AM

7 h behind Sale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

890,403

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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

Sale Nosara 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sale
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

Sale vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $635 in Sale, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 190% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $952 per month in Sale 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 Sale, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 215% less in Sale. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $104 per month in Sale and $494 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 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.

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.

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 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.