Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulum: $1,252 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tulum
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Tulum Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tulum

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,252

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,252 per month in Tulum vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Tulum $1,252
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Tulum vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Tulum $2,131
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,010 per month in Tulum vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Tulum $3,010
Nosara $3,712

Tulum is about 32% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tulum sits 7% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.26 MX$150

$12.22 ₡5,509

-32.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 MX$1,026

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-6.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 MX$148

$7.54 ₡3,399

7.82%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$70.4

$4.31 ₡1,941

-10.21%

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

$1.14 MX$20.80

$1.72 ₡773

-33.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.42

$1.35 ₡608

-12.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 MX$53.5

$3.24 ₡1,459

-9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MX$69.1

$4.48 ₡2,018

-15.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$28.75

$1.57 ₡707

0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 MX$36.31

$3.17 ₡1,429

-36.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MX$31.71

$2.42 ₡1,091

-28.10%

Eggs

$1.89 MX$34.29

$3.57 ₡1,609

-47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.55 MX$101

$7.43 ₡3,349

-25.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 MX$144

$10.42 ₡4,697

-23.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 MX$165

$13.66 ₡6,156

-33.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 MX$48.31

$2.32 ₡1,044

14.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.75

$1.61 ₡728

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 MX$27.67

$4.74 ₡2,138

-67.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MX$27.34

$1.66 ₡747

-9.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 MX$41.45

$3.72 ₡1,679

-38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$33.77

$3.57 ₡1,611

-47.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$27.40

$1.10 ₡497

37.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.11

$2.55 ₡1,149

-67.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 MX$79.9

$4.95 ₡2,232

-11.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 MX$152

$20.01 ₡9,020

-58.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$25.31

$2.79 ₡1,256

-50.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$24.00

$3.53 ₡1,589

-62.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 MX$25.48

$1.19 ₡537

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 MX$51.2

$2.24 ₡1,011

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 MX$44.47

$1.55 ₡701

57.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 MX$102

$8.86 ₡3,993

-37.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.71

$1.57 ₡708

-3.18%

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

$21.4K MX$389.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-1.86%

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

$23.8K MX$433.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-31.28%

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

$106 MX$1,927

$93.5 ₡42.1K

13.38%

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

$16.87 MX$307

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-51.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.97 MX$636

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-32.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.35 MX$625

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-51.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.45 MX$117

$7.84 ₡3,535

-17.73%

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

$263 MX$4,776

$490 ₡220.7K

-46.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,022 MX$55.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-74.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.26 MX$769

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-21.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 MX$605

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-40.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 MX$1,772

$79.3 ₡35.7K

22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 MX$1,095

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 MX$11.2K

$786 ₡354.3K

-21.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 MX$9,808

$780 ₡351.6K

-30.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 MX$27.4K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-61.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 MX$23.9K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-6.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,162 MX$57.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-54.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,818 MX$33.1K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

51.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 MX$14.3K

$876 ₡395.0K

-10.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

8.62

25.29%

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

Last update for Tulum: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tulum

$539 42.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 44.6% $241

Groceries & Markets

Tulum

$222 17.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 57.4% $127

Eating Out

Tulum

$169 13.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 24.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulum

$158 12.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 14.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Tulum

$105 8.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 14.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Tulum

$47 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 84.3% $40

Getting Around

Tulum

$21 * 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 321% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $614 in Tulum 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 12% 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 $56.0 in Tulum versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $350 – making Tulum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Tulum

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

19:03 7:03 PM

1 h behind Tulum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,721

4,912

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 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 MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tulum Nosara 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Tulum
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

Tulum vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,252 in Tulum, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,878 per month in Tulum 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 Tulum, 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 $56.0 in Tulum and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tulum, where all-in costs run around $1,252, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Tulum 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 $1,252 in Tulum 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 Tulum. 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.