Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $750 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$750

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $750 in Basra versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Basra $750
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,357 in Basra versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Basra $1,357
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,964 in Basra versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Basra $1,964
Nosara $3,712

Living in Basra costs roughly 59% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basra is 44% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.46 IQD 6,745

$12.22 ₡5,509

-63.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.01 IQD 45.3K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-50.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 IQD 11.3K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-0.53%

Cappuccino

$2.64 IQD 3,982

$4.31 ₡1,941

-38.75%

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

$0.43 IQD 650

$1.72 ₡773

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 IQD 483

$1.35 ₡608

-76.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 IQD 5,603

$3.24 ₡1,459

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 IQD 6,450

$4.48 ₡2,018

-4.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,679

$1.57 ₡707

-29.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,034

$3.17 ₡1,429

-78.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 IQD 2,120

$2.42 ₡1,091

-42.15%

Eggs

$1.81 IQD 2,732

$3.57 ₡1,609

-49.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 IQD 11.4K

$7.43 ₡3,349

1.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 IQD 9,479

$10.42 ₡4,697

-39.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 IQD 21.1K

$13.66 ₡6,156

2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,551

$2.32 ₡1,044

-55.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,981

$1.61 ₡728

-18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,553

$4.74 ₡2,138

-78.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 973

$1.66 ₡747

-61.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 IQD 1,094

$3.72 ₡1,679

-80.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 1,009

$3.57 ₡1,611

-81.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 IQD 1,404

$1.10 ₡497

-15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 IQD 624

$2.55 ₡1,149

-83.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 IQD 3,204

$4.95 ₡2,232

-57.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-39.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 IQD 2,453

$2.79 ₡1,256

-41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,960

$3.53 ₡1,589

-44.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 830

$1.19 ₡537

-53.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.42 IQD 29.3K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-73.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 IQD 3,384

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 IQD 3,518

$1.55 ₡701

50.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 IQD 11.3K

$8.86 ₡3,993

-15.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 IQD 917

$1.57 ₡708

-61.15%

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

$13.2K IQD 20.0M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-39.29%

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

$22.5K IQD 34.0M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-35.03%

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

$50.3 IQD 76.1K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-46.13%

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

$25.65 IQD 38.8K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-26.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.51 IQD 58.2K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-25.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.03 IQD 54.4K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-49.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.80 IQD 20.9K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-61.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 IQD 11.5K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-2.93%

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

$128 IQD 192.9K

$490 ₡220.7K

-73.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,814 IQD 5.8M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-67.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 IQD 74.2K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-8.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-62.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 IQD 117.3K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.13 IQD 63.7K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 IQD 698.8K

$786 ₡354.3K

-41.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 IQD 227.9K

$780 ₡351.6K

-80.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 IQD 1.3M

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-78.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 IQD 941.2K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-55.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,615 IQD 2.4M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-76.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 IQD 1.2M

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-33.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 IQD 1.1M

$876 ₡395.0K

-14.52%

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 Basra: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$196 26%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 78.7% $154

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$151 20%

Nosara

$780 43% 417% $629

Eating Out

Basra

$120 15.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 74.7% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$115 15.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 57.2% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$85 11.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 41% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$51 6.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 69.9% $36

Getting Around

Basra

$35 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 145% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $462 in Basra and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Basra vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $350 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

00:14 12:14 AM

9 h behind Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Basra Nosara 13,310 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Basra
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

Basra vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basra and Nosara differ by about 145% in total monthly costs ($750 vs $1,837 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $462 in Basra versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $750 in Basra versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Basra 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, Basra 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 Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.