Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Fallujah and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Fallujah: $826 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Al Fallujah
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Al Fallujah Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Al Fallujah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$826

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $826 in Al Fallujah versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Al Fallujah $826
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,218 in Al Fallujah versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Al Fallujah $1,218
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in Al Fallujah versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Al Fallujah $1,609
Nosara $3,818

Living in Al Fallujah costs roughly 55% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Fallujah is 39% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 IQD 6,456

$12.35 ₡5,539

-65.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.03 IQD 45.4K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-50.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 IQD 9,753

$7.52 ₡3,373

-14.23%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,050

$4.41 ₡1,978

-39.23%

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

$0.33 IQD 495

$1.74 ₡780

-81.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$1.31 ₡587

-84.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,957

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 IQD 4,847

$4.47 ₡2,004

-28.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 IQD 1,336

$1.56 ₡701

-43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,033

$3.02 ₡1,355

-77.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,974

$2.51 ₡1,125

-47.81%

Eggs

$1.69 IQD 2,553

$3.57 ₡1,603

-52.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.38 IQD 5,108

$7.43 ₡3,333

-54.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 IQD 6,380

$10.52 ₡4,717

-59.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 IQD 19.0K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-10.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,559

$2.35 ₡1,052

-56.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,399

$1.61 ₡720

-42.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,412

$4.80 ₡2,152

-80.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,046

$1.61 ₡724

-57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 890

$3.80 ₡1,703

-84.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 892

$3.69 ₡1,657

-84.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 IQD 828

$1.13 ₡507

-51.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 IQD 922

$2.66 ₡1,191

-77.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 IQD 2,427

$5.18 ₡2,321

-68.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 IQD 17.4K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-41.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,960

$2.90 ₡1,300

-32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,976

$3.63 ₡1,626

-45.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 IQD 635

$1.12 ₡504

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.31 IQD 29.2K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-73.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 IQD 2,932

$2.14 ₡958

-9.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,957

$1.57 ₡703

-17.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 IQD 9,921

$8.52 ₡3,823

-22.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 IQD 828

$1.52 ₡682

-63.82%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-23.69%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-51.56%

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

$188 IQD 284.3K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

95.43%

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

$17.84 IQD 27.0K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-50.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.76 IQD 55.5K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-31.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.84 IQD 61.7K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-42.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.91 IQD 15.0K

$7.89 ₡3,539

25.60%

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

$146 IQD 220.0K

$494 ₡221.6K

-70.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,020 IQD 4.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-74.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.06 IQD 37.9K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-53.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 IQD 41.9K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-49.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 IQD 91.5K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-22.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.11 IQD 62.1K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-48.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 IQD 294.9K

$788 ₡353.4K

-75.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 IQD 226.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-81.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 IQD 533.2K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-91.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 IQD 423.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-80.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$609 IQD 919.7K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-91.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$605 IQD 914.7K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-50.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

8.62

-52.20%

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

Last update for Al Fallujah: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Fallujah

$243 29.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 23.5% $57

Groceries & Markets

Al Fallujah

$164 19.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 115% $189

Accommodation & Living

Al Fallujah

$150 18.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 431% $645

Eating Out

Al Fallujah

$111 13.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 91.5% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Al Fallujah

$70 8.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 72.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Al Fallujah

$61 7.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 44% $27

Getting Around

Al Fallujah

$29 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 196% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in Al Fallujah and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Al Fallujah vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $352 per month, with Al Fallujah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Fallujah

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:37 6:37 PM

09:37 9:37 AM

9 h behind Al Fallujah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

326,471

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 Fallujah Nosara 12,820 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Al Fallujah wins on cost – living expenses run 122% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Fallujah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,240 in Al Fallujah and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $195 in Al Fallujah versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in Al Fallujah versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $826 in Al Fallujah versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Fallujah but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al Fallujah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Fallujah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $826 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Fallujah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Fallujah 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 Fallujah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.