Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sidi Kacem and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidi Kacem: $667 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sidi Kacem
🇲🇦 Morocco
$667
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $667 per month in Sidi Kacem vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sidi Kacem $667
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,005 per month in Sidi Kacem vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sidi Kacem $1,005
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,344 per month in Sidi Kacem vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sidi Kacem $1,344
  • Nosara $3,818

Sidi Kacem is about 64% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sidi Kacem sits 51% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sidi Kacem
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04 MAD 29.60
$12.35 ₡5,539
-75.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.24 MAD 178
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-70.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.24 MAD 80.4
$7.52 ₡3,373
9.57%
Cappuccino
$1.76 MAD 17.18
$4.41 ₡1,978
-60.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 MAD 6.85
$1.74 ₡780
-59.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 MAD 3.21
$1.31 ₡587
-74.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 MAD 24.68
$3.28 ₡1,471
-22.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 MAD 31.04
$4.47 ₡2,004
-28.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sidi Kacem
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.76 MAD 7.37
$1.56 ₡701
-51.28%
White Bread (500g)
$0.18 MAD 1.80
$3.02 ₡1,355
-94.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 MAD 17.74
$2.51 ₡1,125
-27.49%
Eggs
$1.57 MAD 15.26
$3.57 ₡1,603
-56.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.91 MAD 57.6
$7.43 ₡3,333
-20.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.05 MAD 39.51
$10.52 ₡4,717
-61.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.50 MAD 102
$13.97 ₡6,265
-24.84%
Apples (1kg)
$1.62 MAD 15.76
$2.35 ₡1,052
-31.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 MAD 14.20
$1.61 ₡720
-9.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.85 MAD 8.33
$4.80 ₡2,152
-82.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.65 MAD 6.35
$1.61 ₡724
-59.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.68 MAD 6.68
$3.80 ₡1,703
-82.11%
Onion (1kg)
$0.60 MAD 5.82
$3.69 ₡1,657
-83.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.42 MAD 4.13
$1.13 ₡507
-62.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 MAD 6.06
$2.66 ₡1,191
-76.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.80 MAD 37.10
$5.18 ₡2,321
-26.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.09 MAD 78.9
$19.88 ₡8,916
-59.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MAD 19.31
$2.90 ₡1,300
-31.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 MAD 16.48
$3.63 ₡1,626
-53.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Sidi Kacem
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.59 MAD 5.71
$1.12 ₡504
-47.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.30 MAD 188
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-73.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.69 MAD 6.75
$2.14 ₡958
-67.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 MAD 7.75
$1.57 ₡703
-49.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.44 MAD 33.52
$8.52 ₡3,823
-59.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 MAD 11.80
$1.52 ₡682
-20.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K MAD 334.6K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
58.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K MAD 298.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-11.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sidi Kacem
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$43.86 MAD 428
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-54.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.74 MAD 105
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-70.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.13 MAD 411
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-21.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sidi Kacem
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.27 MAD 285
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-59.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.70 MAD 212
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-37.84%
Cinema Ticket
$3.65 MAD 35.58
$7.89 ₡3,539
-53.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sidi Kacem
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$48.31 MAD 471
$494 ₡221.6K
-90.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,808 MAD 56.6K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-51.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sidi Kacem
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.61 MAD 172
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-67.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.98 MAD 448
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-17.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$54.9 MAD 535
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-29.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$64.9 MAD 632
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-18.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sidi Kacem
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$298 MAD 2,905
$788 ₡353.4K
-62.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$173 MAD 1,691
$794 ₡356.2K
-78.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$446 MAD 4,351
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-88.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$278 MAD 2,712
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-80.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,267 MAD 12.4K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-81.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$704 MAD 6,863
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-42.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sidi Kacem
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.5
8.62
-36.19%

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

Last update for Sidi Kacem: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sidi Kacem
$173
Nosara
$794 358% $621
Groceries & Markets
Sidi Kacem
$158
Nosara
$352 123% $195
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sidi Kacem
$97
Nosara
$186 92% $89
Eating Out
Sidi Kacem
$93
Nosara
$212 127% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Sidi Kacem
$83
Nosara
$120 45.5% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Sidi Kacem
$37
Nosara
$87 139% $51
Getting Around
Sidi Kacem
$26
Nosara
$87 231% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $298 in Sidi Kacem 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 $18.00 in Sidi Kacem versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $158 vs $352 – making Sidi Kacem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Sidi Kacem
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:14 2:14 PM
07:14 7:14 AM
7 h behind Sidi Kacem
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
75,672
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sidi Kacem Nosara 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sidi Kacem
  • 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
Sidi Kacem vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sidi Kacem and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $667 in Sidi Kacem, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 176% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Sidi Kacem compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,000 per month in Sidi Kacem and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sidi Kacem and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sidi Kacem, 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 Sidi Kacem and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 276% less in Sidi Kacem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sidi Kacem and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $48.31 per month in Sidi Kacem and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sidi Kacem, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sidi Kacem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sidi Kacem and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $667 in Sidi Kacem to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sidi Kacem or Nosara 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 Sidi Kacem and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Sidi Kacem. 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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