Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abha and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Abha: $1,060 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Abha
Learn more

Abha Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Abha

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Abha vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Abha $1,060
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in Abha vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Abha $1,757
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,454 per month in Abha vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Abha $2,454
Nosara $3,818

Abha is about 42% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Abha sits 21% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 SAR 20.50

$12.35 ₡5,539

-55.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 SAR 188

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-17.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 SAR 27.43

$7.52 ₡3,373

-2.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

Cappuccino

$3.18 SAR 11.92

$4.41 ₡1,978

-27.89%

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

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.74 ₡780

-63.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$1.31 ₡587

-81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$1.56 ₡701

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$3.02 ₡1,355

-78.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$2.51 ₡1,125

-24.30%

Eggs

$3.21 SAR 12.06

$3.57 ₡1,603

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.57 SAR 17.15

$7.43 ₡3,333

-38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 SAR 27.90

$10.52 ₡4,717

-29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.32 SAR 68.8

$13.97 ₡6,265

31.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

$2.35 ₡1,052

-10.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 SAR 7.36

$1.61 ₡720

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

$4.80 ₡2,152

-67.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$1.61 ₡724

-3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.46

$3.80 ₡1,703

-40.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.77

$3.69 ₡1,657

-65.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 SAR 1.25

$1.13 ₡507

-70.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 SAR 1.78

$2.66 ₡1,191

-82.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.44 SAR 16.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 SAR 4.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 SAR 5.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.58 SAR 35.95

$5.18 ₡2,321

84.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$1.12 ₡504

-23.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.13 SAR 139

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-48.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 SAR 10.85

$2.14 ₡958

35.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 SAR 9.74

$1.57 ₡703

64.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.67 SAR 51.3

$8.52 ₡3,823

60.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$1.52 ₡682

-61.18%

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

$45.2K SAR 169.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

109.00%

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

$19.2K SAR 71.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-44.48%

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

$89.1 SAR 334

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-7.48%

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

$37.23 SAR 140

$35.89 ₡16.1K

3.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 SAR 284

$53.6 ₡24.0K

41.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.6 SAR 348

$71.6 ₡32.1K

29.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.68 SAR 168

$34.91 ₡15.7K

27.99%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 SAR 59.0

$7.89 ₡3,539

99.24%

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

$213 SAR 797

$494 ₡221.6K

-56.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,189 SAR 15.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-64.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.21 SAR 117

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-42.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 SAR 263

$55.4 ₡24.8K

26.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 SAR 360

$77.9 ₡34.9K

23.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.5 SAR 250

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 SAR 1,185

$788 ₡353.4K

-59.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 SAR 941

$794 ₡356.2K

-68.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 SAR 1,983

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-86.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,148

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-59.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$932 SAR 3,497

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-86.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,343 SAR 5,040

$1,224 ₡549.0K

9.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,229 SAR 8,366

$864 ₡387.3K

158.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-30.39%

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

Last update for Abha: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Abha

$251 23.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 217% $544

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abha

$202 19.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 8.1% $16

Groceries & Markets

Abha

$201 19%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 75.2% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Abha

$124 11.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 29.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Abha

$119 11.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 1.2% $1.4

Eating Out

Abha

$107 10.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 97.5% $105

Getting Around

Abha

$56 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 54.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $316 in Abha 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 158% higher in Abha, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Abha versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $352 – making Abha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Abha

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

18:50 6:50 PM

9 h behind Abha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

236,157

4,912

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Abha Nosara 13,520 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Abha
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

Abha vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 73% more than Abha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,591 per month in Abha 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 Abha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Abha and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Abha, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Abha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Abha costs $1,060 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Abha. 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.