Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Kufah and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kufah: $711 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Al Kufah
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Al Kufah Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Al Kufah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$711

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in Al Kufah versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Al Kufah $711
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,077 in Al Kufah versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Al Kufah $1,077
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,443 in Al Kufah versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Al Kufah $1,443
Nosara $3,818

Living in Al Kufah costs roughly 61% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Kufah is 47% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.34 IQD 6,560

$12.35 ₡5,539

-64.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.40 IQD 44.4K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-51.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-10.51%

Cappuccino

$2.66 IQD 4,021

$4.41 ₡1,978

-39.68%

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

$0.32 IQD 489

$1.74 ₡780

-81.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$1.31 ₡587

-83.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 IQD 4,913

$3.28 ₡1,471

-0.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 IQD 4,935

$4.47 ₡2,004

-26.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 IQD 1,352

$1.56 ₡701

-42.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 971

$3.02 ₡1,355

-78.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,068

$2.51 ₡1,125

-45.42%

Eggs

$1.62 IQD 2,446

$3.57 ₡1,603

-54.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.12 IQD 3,197

$7.43 ₡3,333

-71.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 IQD 5,820

$10.52 ₡4,717

-63.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 IQD 11.9K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-43.59%

Apples (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 965

$2.35 ₡1,052

-72.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,359

$1.61 ₡720

-44.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 918

$4.80 ₡2,152

-87.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 IQD 727

$1.61 ₡724

-70.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 IQD 697

$3.80 ₡1,703

-87.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 IQD 488

$3.69 ₡1,657

-91.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.15 IQD 226

$1.13 ₡507

-86.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 760

$2.66 ₡1,191

-81.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.52 IQD 2,299

$5.18 ₡2,321

-70.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 IQD 17.6K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-41.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,856

$2.90 ₡1,300

-34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 IQD 2,917

$3.63 ₡1,626

-46.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 IQD 595

$1.12 ₡504

-65.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 IQD 31.4K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-71.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 IQD 2,903

$2.14 ₡958

-10.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,964

$1.57 ₡703

-17.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 IQD 9,893

$8.52 ₡3,823

-23.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 IQD 777

$1.52 ₡682

-66.45%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-22.79%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-51.71%

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

$193 IQD 291.7K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

100.49%

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

$17.75 IQD 26.8K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-50.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 IQD 29.7K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-63.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.79 IQD 22.3K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-79.34%

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)

$71.0 IQD 107.2K

$494 ₡221.6K

-85.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,184 IQD 3.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-81.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.89 IQD 14.9K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-81.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.39 IQD 42.9K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-48.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.23 IQD 30.6K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-74.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.29 IQD 53.3K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-55.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 IQD 262.3K

$788 ₡353.4K

-77.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 IQD 190.8K

$794 ₡356.2K

-84.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 IQD 571.8K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-90.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 IQD 466.7K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-78.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 IQD 1.9M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-81.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$577 IQD 872.5K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-52.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$882 IQD 1.3M

$864 ₡387.3K

2.12%

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 Kufah: October 10, 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 Kufah

$230 32.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 19.4% $45

Groceries & Markets

Al Kufah

$135 19%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 161% $217

Accommodation & Living

Al Kufah

$126 17.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 529% $668

Eating Out

Al Kufah

$112 15.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 89.4% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Al Kufah

$42 5.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 185% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Al Kufah

$35 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 152% $53

Getting Around

Al Kufah

$31 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 183% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $174 in Al Kufah and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Kufah pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Al Kufah vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $352 per month, with Al Kufah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Kufah

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:11 12:11 AM

15:11 3:11 PM

9 h behind Al Kufah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

230,000

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 Kufah Nosara 12,950 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Al Kufah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 158% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Al Kufah, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $174 in Al Kufah versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Kufah – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $711 per month in Al Kufah versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 158% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $711 in Al Kufah versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Kufah but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kufah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Kufah 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 Kufah 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 Kufah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.