Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhahran and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhahran: $1,317 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
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Dhahran Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,317

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,317 per month in Dhahran vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Dhahran $1,317
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,671 per month in Dhahran vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Dhahran $1,671
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,026 per month in Dhahran vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Dhahran $2,026
Nosara $3,818

Dhahran is about 28% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Dhahran sits 2% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.30 SAR 19.90

$12.35 ₡5,539

-57.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.17 SAR 147

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-35.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 SAR 23.81

$7.52 ₡3,373

-15.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Cappuccino

$4.01 SAR 15.03

$4.41 ₡1,978

-9.07%

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

$0.74 SAR 2.76

$1.74 ₡780

-57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 SAR 0.70

$1.31 ₡587

-85.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.56 ₡701

5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SAR 3.62

$3.02 ₡1,355

-67.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 SAR 7.41

$2.51 ₡1,125

-21.51%

Eggs

$3.87 SAR 14.54

$3.57 ₡1,603

8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 SAR 32.23

$7.43 ₡3,333

15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 SAR 40.97

$10.52 ₡4,717

3.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 SAR 52.1

$13.97 ₡6,265

-0.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

$2.35 ₡1,052

-8.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.21

$1.61 ₡720

-13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$4.80 ₡2,152

-62.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

$1.61 ₡724

11.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$3.80 ₡1,703

-60.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 SAR 3.61

$3.69 ₡1,657

-73.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 SAR 7.39

$1.13 ₡507

74.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$2.66 ₡1,191

-68.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.81 SAR 18.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SAR 9.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 SAR 20.92

$5.18 ₡2,321

7.53%

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)

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$1.12 ₡504

-25.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$2.14 ₡958

-36.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 SAR 12.21

$1.57 ₡703

107.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 SAR 35.73

$8.52 ₡3,823

11.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.52 ₡682

-57.24%

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

$53.2K SAR 199.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

146.30%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-40.07%

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

$59.0 SAR 221

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-38.72%

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

$42.19 SAR 158

$35.89 ₡16.1K

17.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 SAR 244

$53.6 ₡24.0K

21.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$195 SAR 731

$71.6 ₡32.1K

171.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$93.5 SAR 351

$34.91 ₡15.7K

167.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 SAR 39.62

$7.89 ₡3,539

33.84%

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

$65.3 SAR 245

$494 ₡221.6K

-86.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K SAR 49.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

11.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 SAR 190

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-6.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.79 SAR 157

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-24.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 SAR 289

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 SAR 339

$79.6 ₡35.7K

13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$788 ₡353.4K

-54.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 SAR 1,700

$794 ₡356.2K

-42.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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)

$2,785 SAR 10.5K

$864 ₡387.3K

222.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

8.62

-47.80%

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

Last update for Dhahran: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dhahran

$453 34.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 75.3% $341

Groceries & Markets

Dhahran

$231 17.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 52.4% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Dhahran

$216 16.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 59.5% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhahran

$166 12.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 11.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Dhahran

$117 8.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2.8% $3.3

Eating Out

Dhahran

$113 8.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 87.1% $99

Getting Around

Dhahran

$21 * 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 316% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Dhahran 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 223% higher in Dhahran, 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 $39.00 in Dhahran versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $352 – making Dhahran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

18:48 6:48 PM

9 h behind Dhahran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,521

4,912

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhahran Nosara 13,760 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhahran
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

Dhahran vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 40% more than Dhahran, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,976 per month in Dhahran 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 Dhahran, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,317 in Dhahran and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 40%.

Kindergarten costs $65.3 per month in Dhahran and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dhahran, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Dhahran it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dhahran costs $1,317 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Dhahran. 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.