Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Beirut: $1,644 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Beirut
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,644
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,644 in Beirut versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Beirut $1,644
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,637 in Beirut versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Beirut $2,637
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,629 in Beirut versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Beirut $3,629
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Beirut costs roughly 11% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beirut 23% above, Nosara 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Beirut
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.14 LBP 1.1M
$12.22 ₡5,509
-0.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.1 LBP 6.3M
$60.2 ₡27.1K
16.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.84 LBP 880.6K
$7.54 ₡3,399
30.50%
Cappuccino
$4.45 LBP 398.4K
$4.31 ₡1,941
3.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 LBP 214.0K
$1.72 ₡773
38.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 LBP 80.7K
$1.35 ₡608
-33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.86 LBP 435.3K
$3.24 ₡1,459
50.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.83 LBP 432.7K
$4.48 ₡2,018
7.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Beirut
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 LBP 179.3K
$1.57 ₡707
27.39%
White Bread (500g)
$0.84 LBP 75.2K
$3.17 ₡1,429
-73.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 LBP 209.4K
$2.42 ₡1,091
-3.31%
Eggs
$3.55 LBP 318.0K
$3.57 ₡1,609
-0.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.02 LBP 986.7K
$7.43 ₡3,349
48.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.76 LBP 963.3K
$10.42 ₡4,697
3.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.62 LBP 1.3M
$13.66 ₡6,156
7.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.13 LBP 280.3K
$2.32 ₡1,044
34.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 LBP 153.0K
$1.61 ₡728
6.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.68 LBP 150.7K
$4.74 ₡2,138
-64.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 LBP 135.7K
$1.66 ₡747
-8.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 LBP 111.2K
$3.72 ₡1,679
-66.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 LBP 142.4K
$3.57 ₡1,611
-55.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 LBP 108.6K
$1.10 ₡497
10.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 LBP 61.1K
$2.55 ₡1,149
-73.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.06 LBP 273.5K
$4.95 ₡2,232
-38.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.91 LBP 976.2K
$20.01 ₡9,020
-45.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 LBP 119.2K
$2.79 ₡1,256
-52.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 LBP 232.0K
$3.53 ₡1,589
-26.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Beirut
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 LBP 202.7K
$1.19 ₡537
89.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.0 LBP 6.8M
$72.1 ₡32.5K
5.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.93 LBP 441.5K
$2.24 ₡1,011
120.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 LBP 196.6K
$1.55 ₡701
41.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.38 LBP 2.0M
$8.86 ₡3,993
152.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 LBP 93.6K
$1.57 ₡708
-33.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$54.0K LBP 4.8B
$21.8K ₡9.8M
147.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K LBP 2.9B
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-5.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beirut
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$231 LBP 20.6M
$93.5 ₡42.1K
146.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.10 LBP 2.0M
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-37.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.83 LBP 3.4M
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-26.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Beirut
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$85.5 LBP 7.7M
$71.4 ₡32.2K
19.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.08 LBP 3.1M
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-3.84%
Cinema Ticket
$10.02 LBP 896.8K
$7.84 ₡3,535
27.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Beirut
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$678 LBP 60.7M
$490 ₡220.7K
38.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K LBP 951.6M
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-10.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Beirut
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.5 LBP 6.0M
$53.5 ₡24.1K
24.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.54 LBP 4.3M
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-12.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 LBP 12.3M
$79.3 ₡35.7K
73.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 LBP 10.6M
$78.9 ₡35.6K
49.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Beirut
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 LBP 84.5M
$786 ₡354.3K
20.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$488 LBP 43.7M
$780 ₡351.6K
-37.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,203 LBP 197.2M
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-42.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,059 LBP 94.8M
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-24.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,927 LBP 351.5M
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-43.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,848 LBP 165.4M
$1,201 ₡541.3K
53.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Beirut
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$703 LBP 62.9M
$876 ₡395.0K
-19.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
8.62
27.61%

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

Last update for Beirut: 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
Beirut
$488
Nosara
$780 59.7% $292
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beirut
$291
Nosara
$180 38% $111
Groceries & Markets
Beirut
$277
Nosara
$350 26.4% $73
Eating Out
Beirut
$227
Nosara
$209 7.8% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Beirut
$167
Nosara
$120 27.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Beirut
$106
Nosara
$87 17.5% $18
Getting Around
Beirut
$101
Nosara
$87 14% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Beirut and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 25% 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: $70.0 in Beirut vs $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $350, with Beirut cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇱🇧 Beirut
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
10:29 10:29 AM
01:29 1:29 AM
9 h behind Beirut
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,916,100 Capital
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,381 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Beirut Nosara 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Beirut
  • 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
Beirut vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Beirut?
Beirut is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Beirut or Nosara?
On paper, salaries run 25% 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.
What is the rent difference between Beirut and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $944 in Beirut versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Beirut and in Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,644 per month in Beirut versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Beirut runs roughly 5% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Beirut or in Nosara?
At $1,644 in Beirut versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Beirut but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Beirut the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Beirut or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Beirut 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.
Which city is safer, Beirut or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Beirut 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Beirut gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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