Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-'amarah and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-'amarah: $662 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.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
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Al-'amarah Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$662

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $662 per month in Al-'amarah vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Al-'amarah $662
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,031 per month in Al-'amarah vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,031
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,400 per month in Al-'amarah vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,400
Nosara $3,818

Al-'amarah is about 64% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Al-'amarah sits 51% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 IQD 5,936

$12.35 ₡5,539

-68.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.93 IQD 33.1K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-64.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 IQD 9,391

$7.52 ₡3,373

-17.29%

Cappuccino

$2.08 IQD 3,146

$4.41 ₡1,978

-52.83%

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

$0.33 IQD 502

$1.74 ₡780

-81.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 304

$1.31 ₡587

-84.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 IQD 4,863

$3.28 ₡1,471

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 IQD 4,384

$4.47 ₡2,004

-35.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,501

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,006

$3.02 ₡1,355

-77.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 IQD 2,061

$2.51 ₡1,125

-45.82%

Eggs

$1.57 IQD 2,368

$3.57 ₡1,603

-56.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.72 IQD 5,616

$7.43 ₡3,333

-49.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 IQD 6,361

$10.52 ₡4,717

-59.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 IQD 17.4K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,405

$2.35 ₡1,052

-60.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,411

$1.61 ₡720

-42.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,362

$4.80 ₡2,152

-81.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 921

$1.61 ₡724

-62.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 846

$3.80 ₡1,703

-85.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 924

$3.69 ₡1,657

-83.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 IQD 782

$1.13 ₡507

-53.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 770

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 IQD 2,765

$5.18 ₡2,321

-64.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 IQD 18.3K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-39.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 IQD 2,412

$2.90 ₡1,300

-44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,683

$3.63 ₡1,626

-50.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 IQD 680

$1.12 ₡504

-59.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.17 IQD 29.0K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-73.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 IQD 2,734

$2.14 ₡958

-15.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 IQD 1,712

$1.57 ₡703

-28.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 IQD 8,707

$8.52 ₡3,823

-32.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 813

$1.52 ₡682

-64.47%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-23.94%

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

$15.1K IQD 22.8M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-56.22%

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

$96.2 IQD 145.4K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-0.08%

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

$13.00 IQD 19.7K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-63.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-55.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.10 IQD 56.1K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-48.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 IQD 13.4K

$7.89 ₡3,539

12.42%

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

$153 IQD 231.6K

$494 ₡221.6K

-68.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,868 IQD 4.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-75.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-57.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-61.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 IQD 78.4K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-33.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.23 IQD 51.7K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-57.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 IQD 268.4K

$788 ₡353.4K

-77.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 IQD 195.4K

$794 ₡356.2K

-83.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 IQD 561.0K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-90.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 IQD 449.9K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-79.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$717 IQD 1.1M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-89.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$573 IQD 865.9K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-53.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 IQD 657.8K

$864 ₡387.3K

-49.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

8.62

-61.37%

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

Last update for Al-'amarah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-'amarah

$159 24%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 122% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-'amarah

$133 20.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 39.4% $53

Accommodation & Living

Al-'amarah

$129 19.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 514% $665

Eating Out

Al-'amarah

$99 15%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 114% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Al-'amarah

$59 8.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 105% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Al-'amarah

$55 8.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 59.3% $33

Getting Around

Al-'amarah

$28 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 206% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Al-'amarah 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 98% 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 $22.00 in Al-'amarah versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $159 vs $352 – making Al-'amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

09:43 9:43 AM

9 h behind Al-'amarah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

511,542

4,912

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-'amarah Nosara 13,180 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-'amarah
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

Al-'amarah vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 178%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $993 per month in Al-'amarah 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 Al-'amarah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 122% 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 $22.00 in Al-'amarah and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-'amarah, where all-in costs run around $662, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Al-'amarah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-'amarah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Al-'amarah. 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.