Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Muharraq and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Muharraq: $1,089 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Al Muharraq
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Al Muharraq Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Al Muharraq

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,089

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,089 in Al Muharraq versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Al Muharraq $1,089
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,621 in Al Muharraq versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Al Muharraq $1,621
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,152 in Al Muharraq versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Al Muharraq $2,152
Nosara $3,818

Living in Al Muharraq costs roughly 41% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Muharraq is 19% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.67 BHD 1.01

$12.35 ₡5,539

-78.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.28 BHD 9.92

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-57.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 BHD 2.24

$7.52 ₡3,373

-21.01%

Cappuccino

$4.04 BHD 1.52

$4.41 ₡1,978

-8.39%

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

$0.89 BHD 0.33

$1.74 ₡780

-48.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 BHD 0.12

$1.31 ₡587

-75.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.49 BHD 2.45

$3.28 ₡1,471

97.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 BHD 2.57

$4.47 ₡2,004

52.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 BHD 0.51

$1.56 ₡701

-14.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 BHD 0.40

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$2.51 ₡1,125

-8.76%

Eggs

$2.24 BHD 0.84

$3.57 ₡1,603

-37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.64 BHD 1.37

$7.43 ₡3,333

-51.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 BHD 1.82

$10.52 ₡4,717

-54.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.40 BHD 3.17

$13.97 ₡6,265

-39.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$2.35 ₡1,052

-56.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 BHD 0.71

$1.61 ₡720

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 BHD 0.41

$4.80 ₡2,152

-77.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$1.61 ₡724

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$3.80 ₡1,703

-73.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 BHD 0.19

$3.69 ₡1,657

-85.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 BHD 0.19

$1.13 ₡507

-53.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 BHD 0.19

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 BHD 2.04

$5.18 ₡2,321

4.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.89 BHD 7.13

$19.88 ₡8,916

-4.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.37

$2.90 ₡1,300

25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 BHD 1.03

$3.63 ₡1,626

-24.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 BHD 2.04

$2.14 ₡958

152.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 BHD 0.50

$1.57 ₡703

-15.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 BHD 2.02

$8.52 ₡3,823

-37.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 BHD 0.19

$1.52 ₡682

-66.45%

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

$37.6K BHD 14.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

74.02%

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

$20.7K BHD 7,827

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-39.91%

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

$151 BHD 57.1

$96.3 ₡43.2K

57.07%

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

$21.42 BHD 8.08

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-40.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.71 BHD 13.48

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-33.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 BHD 4.02

$7.89 ₡3,539

34.98%

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

$488 BHD 184

$494 ₡221.6K

-1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K BHD 4,092

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-8.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 BHD 19.14

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 BHD 22.00

$55.4 ₡24.8K

5.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 BHD 33.46

$77.9 ₡34.9K

13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 BHD 33.38

$79.6 ₡35.7K

11.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 BHD 176

$788 ₡353.4K

-40.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 BHD 142

$794 ₡356.2K

-52.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 BHD 369

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-75.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 BHD 280

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,015 BHD 760

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-70.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,582 BHD 597

$1,224 ₡549.0K

29.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,773 BHD 669

$864 ₡387.3K

105.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

8.62

-27.96%

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

Last update for Al Muharraq: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Muharraq

$376 34.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 111% $418

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Muharraq

$208 19.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 10.9% $23

Groceries & Markets

Al Muharraq

$204 18.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 72.9% $149

Eating Out

Al Muharraq

$139 12.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 52.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Al Muharraq

$129 11.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 6.7% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Al Muharraq

$21 * 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 310% $66

Getting Around

Al Muharraq

$12 * 1.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 622% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Al Muharraq and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Al Muharraq vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $352 per month, with Al Muharraq cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Al Muharraq

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

06:15 6:15 AM

9 h behind Al Muharraq

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Muharraq Nosara 13,810 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Al Muharraq and Nosara differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,089 vs $1,839 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 105% higher in Al Muharraq, 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: $466 in Al Muharraq versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,089 per month in Al Muharraq versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,089 in Al Muharraq versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Muharraq but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al Muharraq the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Al Muharraq 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 Muharraq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.