Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toamasina and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Toamasina: $465 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Toamasina

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$465

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $465 per month in Toamasina vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Toamasina $465
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $753 per month in Toamasina vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Toamasina $753
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,041 per month in Toamasina vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Toamasina $1,041
Nosara $3,818

Toamasina is about 75% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Toamasina sits 66% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 MGA 12.0K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-78.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.74 MGA 71.8K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-74.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.35 MGA 19.9K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-42.15%

Cappuccino

$1.09 MGA 4,993

$4.41 ₡1,978

-75.28%

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

$0.53 MGA 2,430

$1.74 ₡780

-69.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 MGA 4,974

$3.28 ₡1,471

-66.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MGA 4,933

$4.47 ₡2,004

-75.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 MGA 5,015

$1.56 ₡701

-29.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MGA 4,990

$3.02 ₡1,355

-63.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MGA 4,663

$2.51 ₡1,125

-59.36%

Eggs

$1.83 MGA 8,346

$3.57 ₡1,603

-48.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.50 MGA 57.0K

$7.43 ₡3,333

68.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 MGA 35.1K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-26.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 MGA 28.2K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-55.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 MGA 6,915

$2.35 ₡1,052

-35.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MGA 5,890

$1.61 ₡720

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 MGA 7,155

$4.80 ₡2,152

-67.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,090

$1.61 ₡724

-57.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,835

$3.80 ₡1,703

-83.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MGA 2,508

$3.69 ₡1,657

-85.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,561

$1.13 ₡507

-69.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 MGA 2,242

$2.66 ₡1,191

-81.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 MGA 7,845

$5.18 ₡2,321

-66.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MGA 3,889

$2.90 ₡1,300

-70.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MGA 4,945

$3.63 ₡1,626

-70.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MGA 1,565

$1.12 ₡504

-69.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 MGA 5,046

$1.52 ₡682

-26.97%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$30.98 MGA 141.3K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-13.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 MGA 302.4K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

23.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.83 MGA 99.6K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-69.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.82 MGA 31.1K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-13.56%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.91 MGA 40.6K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-83.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$6.77 MGA 30.9K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-87.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.9 MGA 255.2K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-28.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.06 MGA 169.1K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-53.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$135 MGA 617.9K

$788 ₡353.4K

-82.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.5 MGA 252.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-93.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 MGA 2.0M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-88.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 MGA 612.1K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-90.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$133 MGA 606.3K

$864 ₡387.3K

-84.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Toamasina: 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

Toamasina

–

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Groceries & Markets

Toamasina

–

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Eating Out

Toamasina

–

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toamasina

–

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Toamasina

–

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Toamasina

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Toamasina

–

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $135 in Toamasina 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 550% 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 $16.00 in Toamasina versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $352 – making Toamasina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Toamasina

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

22:29 10:29 PM

9 h behind Toamasina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,857

4,912

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 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 MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toamasina Nosara 15,100 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Toamasina
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

Toamasina vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $465 in Toamasina, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 296% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $697 per month in Toamasina 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 Toamasina, 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 $16.00 in Toamasina and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $465 in Toamasina and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 296%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Toamasina, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Toamasina 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 $465 in Toamasina 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 Toamasina. 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.