Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Qurain and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Qurain: $1,426 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Al-Qurain

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,426

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,426 per month in Al-Qurain vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Al-Qurain $1,426
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Al-Qurain vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Al-Qurain $2,256
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,086 per month in Al-Qurain vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Al-Qurain $3,086
Nosara $3,818

Al-Qurain is about 22% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Al-Qurain and Nosara sit above the global median – Al-Qurain by 6%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.66 KWD 3.90

$12.35 ₡5,539

2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 KWD 20.12

$61.2 ₡27.4K

6.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 KWD 2.73

$7.52 ₡3,373

17.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 KWD 0.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 KWD 1.50

Cappuccino

$5.34 KWD 1.64

$4.41 ₡1,978

21.09%

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

$0.73 KWD 0.23

$1.74 ₡780

-58.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 KWD 0.09

$1.31 ₡587

-77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 KWD 0.48

$1.56 ₡701

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$3.02 ₡1,355

-49.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 KWD 0.58

$2.51 ₡1,125

-25.10%

Eggs

$2.07 KWD 0.64

$3.57 ₡1,603

-42.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.45 KWD 1.37

$7.43 ₡3,333

-40.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 KWD 2.00

$10.52 ₡4,717

-38.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 KWD 3.10

$13.97 ₡6,265

-27.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

$2.35 ₡1,052

5.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 KWD 0.57

$1.61 ₡720

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$4.80 ₡2,152

-62.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 KWD 0.45

$1.61 ₡724

-8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$3.80 ₡1,703

-65.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

$3.69 ₡1,657

-60.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 KWD 0.69

$1.13 ₡507

99.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 KWD 0.17

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.32%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.22 KWD 0.99

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 KWD 0.85

$5.18 ₡2,321

-46.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 KWD 0.28

$1.12 ₡504

-17.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 KWD 1.46

$2.14 ₡958

121.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 KWD 0.97

$1.57 ₡703

101.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.15 KWD 4.98

$8.52 ₡3,823

89.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$1.52 ₡682

-78.29%

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

$20.7K KWD 6,376

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-4.23%

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

$20.0K KWD 6,169

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-41.99%

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

$66.5 KWD 20.50

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-30.91%

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

$22.28 KWD 6.86

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-37.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.73 KWD 9.16

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-44.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.0 KWD 29.27

$71.6 ₡32.1K

32.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 KWD 3.44

$7.89 ₡3,539

41.70%

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

$304 KWD 93.5

$494 ₡221.6K

-38.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,172 KWD 2,826

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-22.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.81 KWD 11.65

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-29.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 KWD 12.07

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-29.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 KWD 30.52

$77.9 ₡34.9K

27.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 KWD 26.83

$79.6 ₡35.7K

9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 KWD 253

$788 ₡353.4K

4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 KWD 206

$794 ₡356.2K

-15.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 KWD 500

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-58.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 KWD 376

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-14.04%

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)

$4,435 KWD 1,366

$864 ₡387.3K

413.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Al-Qurain: 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-Qurain

$669 46.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 18.8% $126

Eating Out

Al-Qurain

$196 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 8.1% $16

Groceries & Markets

Al-Qurain

$183 12.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 92.4% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Qurain

$119 8.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 56.7% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Qurain

$118 8.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 1.4% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Qurain

$117 8.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 25.6% $30

Getting Around

Al-Qurain

$24 * 1.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 259% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $822 in Al-Qurain versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 414% higher in Al-Qurain, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Al-Qurain versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Al-Qurain vs $352 in Nosara – so Al-Qurain wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Al-Qurain

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

16:59 4:59 PM

9 h behind Al-Qurain

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,458

4,912

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KWD – Kuwaiti Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 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 KWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-Qurain Nosara 13,410 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,140 per month in Al-Qurain and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-Qurain, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Al-Qurain and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-Qurain, where all-in costs run around $1,426, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Al-Qurain it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-Qurain – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-Qurain. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.