Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Adam and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Adam: $958 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Adam
🇴🇲 Oman
$958
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Adam versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Adam $958
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,438 in Adam versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Adam $1,438
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,918 in Adam versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Adam $1,918
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Adam costs roughly 48% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Adam is 29% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Adam
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.30 OMR 2.04
$12.35 ₡5,539
-57.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.15 OMR 15.07
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-36.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.89 OMR 3.04
$7.52 ₡3,373
4.92%
Cappuccino
$4.99 OMR 1.92
$4.41 ₡1,978
13.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 OMR 0.32
$1.74 ₡780
-51.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 OMR 0.10
$1.31 ₡587
-79.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.81 OMR 4.93
$3.28 ₡1,471
290.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.90 OMR 4.97
$4.47 ₡2,004
188.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Adam
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.37 OMR 0.91
$1.56 ₡701
51.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.18 OMR 0.46
$3.02 ₡1,355
-60.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.90 OMR 0.73
$2.51 ₡1,125
-24.30%
Eggs
$2.93 OMR 1.13
$3.57 ₡1,603
-17.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 OMR 2.80
$7.43 ₡3,333
-1.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.99 OMR 2.69
$10.52 ₡4,717
-33.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.83 OMR 4.17
$13.97 ₡6,265
-22.48%
Apples (1kg)
$3.54 OMR 1.36
$2.35 ₡1,052
50.64%
Banana (1kg)
$2.00 OMR 0.77
$1.61 ₡720
24.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.40 OMR 0.92
$4.80 ₡2,152
-50.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.26 OMR 0.48
$1.61 ₡724
-21.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 OMR 0.47
$3.80 ₡1,703
-68.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 OMR 0.47
$3.69 ₡1,657
-66.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.84 OMR 0.71
$1.13 ₡507
62.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 OMR 0.25
$2.66 ₡1,191
-75.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.61 OMR 2.54
$5.18 ₡2,321
27.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.74 OMR 6.06
$19.88 ₡8,916
-20.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$6.03 OMR 2.32
$2.90 ₡1,300
107.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.34 OMR 3.98
$3.63 ₡1,626
184.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Adam
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡504
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 OMR 1.22
$2.14 ₡958
48.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.53 OMR 0.98
$1.57 ₡703
61.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.64 OMR 2.94
$8.52 ₡3,823
-10.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.59 OMR 0.23
$1.52 ₡682
-61.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.4K OMR 9,789
$21.6K ₡9.7M
17.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K OMR 8,560
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-35.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Adam
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$181 OMR 69.6
$96.3 ₡43.2K
87.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.28 OMR 12.04
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-12.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.2 OMR 27.03
$53.6 ₡24.0K
31.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Adam
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.46 OMR 4.03
$7.89 ₡3,539
32.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Adam
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$290 OMR 112
$494 ₡221.6K
-41.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K OMR 4,116
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-9.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Adam
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.7 OMR 21.82
$53.9 ₡24.2K
5.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.92 OMR 16.52
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-22.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 OMR 34.81
$77.9 ₡34.9K
16.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 OMR 33.93
$79.6 ₡35.7K
10.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Adam
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$788 ₡353.4K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$794 ₡356.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$259 OMR 99.7
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-93.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Adam
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,569 OMR 989
$864 ₡387.3K
197.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
8.62
-39.10%

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

Last update for Adam: 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
Adam
$293
Nosara
$352 20% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Adam
$282
Nosara
$186 34.2% $97
Eating Out
Adam
$220
Nosara
$212 3.8% $8.4
Clothing & Footwear
Adam
$125
Nosara
$120 4.1% $5.1
Sport & Entertainment
Adam
$21 *
Nosara
$87 317% $66
Getting Around
Adam
$16 *
Nosara
$87 450% $71
Accommodation & Living
Adam
- *
Nosara
$794

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

Cost Breakdown

Adam pays 198% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Adam vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $352 per month, with Adam cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇴🇲 Adam
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
13:03 1:03 PM
03:03 3:03 AM
10 h behind Adam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,515
4,912
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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
  • Adam Nosara 14,630 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Adam
  • 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
Adam vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Adam?
Adam is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Adam or Nosara?
Average pay runs 198% higher in Adam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $290 in Adam versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Adam or in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Adam – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Adam or in Nosara?
At $958 in Adam versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Adam but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Adam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Adam or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Adam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Adam or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Adam and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Adam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Adam vs other spots: cost of living compared

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