Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Rumaitha and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Al-Rumaitha $650
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Al-Rumaitha $1,027
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Al-Rumaitha $1,403
Nosara $3,818

Living in Al-Rumaitha costs roughly 65% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-Rumaitha is 52% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 IQD 5,465

$12.35 ₡5,539

-70.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-62.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-5.85%

Cappuccino

$2.33 IQD 3,523

$4.41 ₡1,978

-47.17%

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

$0.31 IQD 471

$1.74 ₡780

-82.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 286

$1.31 ₡587

-85.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 IQD 4,398

$3.28 ₡1,471

-11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 IQD 3,936

$4.47 ₡2,004

-41.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 IQD 1,298

$1.56 ₡701

-44.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 IQD 1,185

$3.02 ₡1,355

-74.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,063

$2.51 ₡1,125

-45.42%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,392

$3.57 ₡1,603

-55.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.09 IQD 6,174

$7.43 ₡3,333

-44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 IQD 5,449

$10.52 ₡4,717

-65.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,384

$2.35 ₡1,052

-60.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,428

$1.61 ₡720

-40.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,268

$4.80 ₡2,152

-82.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 1,002

$1.61 ₡724

-59.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 844

$3.80 ₡1,703

-85.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 849

$3.69 ₡1,657

-84.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 839

$1.13 ₡507

-50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 IQD 717

$2.66 ₡1,191

-82.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,468

$5.18 ₡2,321

-68.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-46.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 IQD 2,120

$2.90 ₡1,300

-51.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,691

$3.63 ₡1,626

-50.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 IQD 639

$1.12 ₡504

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-69.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 IQD 2,724

$2.14 ₡958

-15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,031

$1.57 ₡703

-14.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 IQD 7,268

$8.52 ₡3,823

-43.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 IQD 766

$1.52 ₡682

-66.45%

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

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-30.86%

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

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-51.10%

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

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-7.99%

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

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-66.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-53.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-47.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.39 IQD 5,120

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-90.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

$7.89 ₡3,539

16.60%

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

$128 IQD 193.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

-74.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-77.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-61.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-61.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-39.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-61.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 IQD 269.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

-77.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$128 IQD 194.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-83.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 IQD 564.1K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-90.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 465.9K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-78.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$629 IQD 951.1K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-90.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$532 IQD 803.7K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-56.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

8.62

-61.37%

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

Last update for Al-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 128% $198

Accommodation & Living

Al-Rumaitha

$128 19.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 518% $666

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 47.9% $60

Eating Out

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 112% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 56.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 123% $66

Getting Around

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 170% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $178 in Al-Rumaitha and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $352 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

09:39 9:39 AM

9 h behind Al-Rumaitha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,431

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-Rumaitha Nosara 13,040 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 183% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $975 in Al-Rumaitha 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: $178 in Al-Rumaitha versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $650 per month in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 229% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Rumaitha 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-Rumaitha 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-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.