Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dammam and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Dammam: $1,226 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Dammam
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Dammam Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,226

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,226 in Dammam versus $1,846 in Nosara.

Dammam $1,226
Nosara $1,846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,857 in Dammam versus $2,833 in Nosara.

Dammam $1,857
Nosara $2,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,488 in Dammam versus $3,820 in Nosara.

Dammam $2,488
Nosara $3,820

Living in Dammam costs roughly 34% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dammam is 10% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.49 SAR 24.35

$12.36 ₡5,575

-47.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.23 SAR 147

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-35.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 SAR 29.21

$7.88 ₡3,557

-1.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.94

$4.40 ₡1,986

-15.68%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.02

$1.72 ₡776

-52.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.04

$1.34 ₡603

-79.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,505

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,048

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.64 ₡739

4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$3.16 ₡1,426

-67.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.71

$2.39 ₡1,080

-2.93%

Eggs

$2.54 SAR 9.52

$3.47 ₡1,564

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 SAR 25.48

$7.13 ₡3,217

-4.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 SAR 27.55

$10.32 ₡4,655

-28.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 SAR 48.52

$13.97 ₡6,302

-7.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$2.29 ₡1,031

3.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

$1.62 ₡731

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$4.81 ₡2,169

-66.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$1.68 ₡758

-2.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.67

$3.91 ₡1,765

-68.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$3.63 ₡1,640

-63.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$1.13 ₡509

19.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$2.63 ₡1,188

-77.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.84 SAR 10.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SAR 27.23

$5.02 ₡2,267

44.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,893

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,314

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,597

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.90

$1.21 ₡545

-14.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.52 SAR 152

$73.8 ₡33.3K

-45.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

$2.15 ₡969

21.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$1.63 ₡738

15.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 SAR 50.8

$8.77 ₡3,958

54.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$1.55 ₡700

-58.06%

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

$27.1K SAR 101.8K

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-19.91%

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

$23.4K SAR 87.7K

$38.5K ₡17.4M

-39.23%

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

$105 SAR 395

$95.2 ₡43.0K

10.60%

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

$33.70 SAR 126

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-7.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 SAR 271

$52.0 ₡23.5K

38.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.5 SAR 354

$67.6 ₡30.5K

39.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.96 SAR 139

$35.55 ₡16.0K

3.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 SAR 54.8

$7.54 ₡3,404

93.77%

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

$346 SAR 1,299

$496 ₡224.0K

-30.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,665 SAR 28.8K

$11.8K ₡5.3M

-34.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 SAR 210

$55.1 ₡24.9K

1.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 SAR 236

$56.1 ₡25.3K

12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 SAR 315

$77.8 ₡35.1K

7.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 SAR 305

$79.1 ₡35.7K

2.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,652

$817 ₡368.9K

-46.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 SAR 1,441

$806 ₡363.6K

-52.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 SAR 3,337

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-77.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 SAR 2,352

$1,429 ₡644.9K

-56.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,788 SAR 6,708

$7,068 ₡3.2M

-74.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,073 SAR 4,025

$1,197 ₡540.1K

-10.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

8.62

-48.72%

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

Last update for Dammam: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dammam

$384 31.4%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 110% $422

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dammam

$211 17.2%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 13.1% $28

Groceries & Markets

Dammam

$198 16.1%

Nosara

$351 19% 77.5% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Dammam

$128 10.4%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 5.7% $7.3

Eating Out

Dammam

$124 10.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 71.7% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Dammam

$124 10.1%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 33.2% $41

Getting Around

Dammam

$57 4.6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 56.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Dammam and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39 in Dammam vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $351 per month, with Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Dammam

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

19:00 7:00 PM

9 h behind Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

4,912

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dammam Nosara 13,750 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Dammam
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

Dammam vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dammam is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,839 in Dammam and $2,769 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: $440 in Dammam versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,226 per month in Dammam versus $1,846 in Nosara – Dammam is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dammam runs roughly 45% less than in Nosara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,226 in Dammam versus $1,846 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dammam 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, Dammam and Nosara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.