Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Buraimi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Buraimi: $916 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Al-Buraimi
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Al-Buraimi Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Al-Buraimi

🇴🇲 Oman

$916

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Al-Buraimi versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Al-Buraimi $916
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,357 in Al-Buraimi versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Al-Buraimi $1,357
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,797 in Al-Buraimi versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Al-Buraimi $1,797
Nosara $3,818

Living in Al-Buraimi costs roughly 50% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-Buraimi is 32% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.27 OMR 2.03

$12.35 ₡5,539

-57.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.14 OMR 5.06

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-78.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$7.52 ₡3,373

3.99%

Cappuccino

$5.02 OMR 1.93

$4.41 ₡1,978

13.83%

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

$0.91 OMR 0.35

$1.74 ₡780

-47.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$1.31 ₡587

-79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.89 OMR 4.96

$3.28 ₡1,471

292.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.20 OMR 5.08

$4.47 ₡2,004

195.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 OMR 0.87

$1.56 ₡701

44.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$3.02 ₡1,355

-60.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 OMR 0.61

$2.51 ₡1,125

-37.05%

Eggs

$2.99 OMR 1.15

$3.57 ₡1,603

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.33 OMR 2.44

$7.43 ₡3,333

-14.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 OMR 2.23

$10.52 ₡4,717

-44.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 OMR 3.58

$13.97 ₡6,265

-33.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 OMR 0.80

$2.35 ₡1,052

-11.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 OMR 0.70

$1.61 ₡720

13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 OMR 0.79

$4.80 ₡2,152

-57.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$1.61 ₡724

-18.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$3.80 ₡1,703

-68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$3.69 ₡1,657

-73.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 OMR 0.35

$1.13 ₡507

-19.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 OMR 0.27

$2.66 ₡1,191

-73.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 OMR 2.01

$5.18 ₡2,321

0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 OMR 5.90

$19.88 ₡8,916

-22.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.82 OMR 2.24

$2.90 ₡1,300

100.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.15 OMR 3.91

$3.63 ₡1,626

179.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.94 OMR 14.99

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-46.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 OMR 1.26

$2.14 ₡958

53.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

$1.57 ₡703

-15.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 OMR 2.92

$8.52 ₡3,823

-11.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.52 ₡682

-60.53%

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

$25.2K OMR 9,711

$21.6K ₡9.7M

16.73%

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

$22.7K OMR 8,734

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-34.28%

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

$77.5 OMR 29.84

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-19.51%

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

$30.24 OMR 11.64

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-15.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 OMR 27.23

$53.6 ₡24.0K

32.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.9 OMR 24.62

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 OMR 2.95

$7.89 ₡3,539

-2.79%

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

$260 OMR 100

$494 ₡221.6K

-47.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K OMR 4,036

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-11.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 OMR 21.86

$53.9 ₡24.2K

5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.55 OMR 16.77

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 OMR 35.01

$77.9 ₡34.9K

16.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 OMR 34.13

$79.6 ₡35.7K

11.36%

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)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,620 OMR 1,394

$864 ₡387.3K

319.19%

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 Al-Buraimi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-Buraimi

$262 28.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 34.2% $90

Eating Out

Al-Buraimi

$221 24.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 4.3% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Buraimi

$178 19.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 4.1% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Buraimi

$126 13.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.7% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Buraimi

$79 8.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 10.2% $8.1

Getting Around

Al-Buraimi

$49 * 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 78.3% $38

Accommodation & Living

Al-Buraimi

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Al-Buraimi pays 319% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $13.00 in Al-Buraimi vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $352 per month, with Al-Buraimi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Al-Buraimi

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

11:06 11:06 AM

10 h behind Al-Buraimi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,670

4,912

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

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

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al-Buraimi Nosara 14,360 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-Buraimi
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-Buraimi vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Buraimi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 319% higher in Al-Buraimi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Buraimi runs roughly 87% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $260 in Al-Buraimi versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $916 in Al-Buraimi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Buraimi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Buraimi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Buraimi 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.

Safety-wise, Al-Buraimi 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.

Expats usually find Al-Buraimi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.