Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Mukalla and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mukalla: $854 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Al Mukalla

🇾🇪 Yemen

$854

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $854 in Al Mukalla versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Al Mukalla $854
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Al Mukalla versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Al Mukalla $1,651
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Al Mukalla versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Al Mukalla $2,448
Nosara $3,712

Living in Al Mukalla costs roughly 53% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Mukalla is 36% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 YER 4,015

$12.22 ₡5,509

39.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 YER 19.8K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

39.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$8.31 YER 1,960

$4.31 ₡1,941

92.81%

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 YER 197

$1.35 ₡608

-37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$10.84 YER 2,556

$3.57 ₡1,609

203.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.90 YER 3,514

$7.43 ₡3,349

100.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.10 YER 6,155

$10.42 ₡4,697

150.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$59.9 YER 14.1K

$13.66 ₡6,156

338.51%

Apples (1kg)

$14.72 YER 3,472

$2.32 ₡1,044

534.48%

Banana (1kg)

$6.23 YER 1,468

$1.61 ₡728

286.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.04 YER 1,189

$4.74 ₡2,138

6.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 YER 806

$1.66 ₡747

106.02%

Potato (1kg)

$7.82 YER 1,845

$3.72 ₡1,679

110.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.19 YER 988

$3.57 ₡1,611

17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 YER 587

$2.55 ₡1,149

-2.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Al Mukalla: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Mukalla

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Al Mukalla

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Al Mukalla

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Mukalla

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Al Mukalla

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Al Mukalla

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Al Mukalla

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $84.0 in Al Mukalla vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $608 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Al Mukalla

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

06:14 6:14 AM

9 h behind Al Mukalla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,942

4,912

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to YER – Yemeni Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇾🇪 Yemeni Rial (﷼)

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 264 YER (1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to YER in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Mukalla Nosara 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Al Mukalla is cheaper overall, especially in transport, utilities, and clothing. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,282 in Al Mukalla and $2,756 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.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 74% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Mukalla – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $854 in Al Mukalla versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Mukalla but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al Mukalla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Mukalla 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 Mukalla 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 Mukalla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.