Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,098 in Doha, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Doha outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

102

Cost of Living Index in Doha
Learn more

Doha Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Doha

🇶🇦 Qatar

$2,098

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,098 per month in Doha vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Doha $2,098
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,281 per month in Doha vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Doha $3,281
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,463 per month in Doha vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Doha $4,463
Nosara $3,712

Doha costs about 14% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Doha and Nosara sit above the global median – Doha by 57%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.72 QAR 35.36

$12.22 ₡5,509

-20.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 QAR 248

$60.2 ₡27.1K

13.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 QAR 30.80

$7.54 ₡3,399

12.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.12 QAR 44.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.84 QAR 50.3

Cappuccino

$5.70 QAR 20.73

$4.31 ₡1,941

32.25%

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

$0.97 QAR 3.52

$1.72 ₡773

-43.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 QAR 1.59

$1.35 ₡608

-67.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 QAR 7.79

$1.57 ₡707

36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 QAR 4.94

$3.17 ₡1,429

-57.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 QAR 6.82

$2.42 ₡1,091

-22.31%

Eggs

$3.34 QAR 12.16

$3.57 ₡1,609

-6.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 QAR 41.42

$7.43 ₡3,349

53.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.81 QAR 28.41

$10.42 ₡4,697

-25.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 QAR 39.99

$13.66 ₡6,156

-19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 QAR 8.19

$2.32 ₡1,044

-3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 QAR 6.80

$1.61 ₡728

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 QAR 5.49

$4.74 ₡2,138

-68.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 QAR 4.56

$1.66 ₡747

-24.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 QAR 3.64

$3.72 ₡1,679

-73.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 QAR 3.73

$3.57 ₡1,611

-71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 QAR 5.02

$1.10 ₡497

25.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 QAR 2.02

$2.55 ₡1,149

-78.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.58 QAR 34.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 QAR 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 QAR 8.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.32 QAR 22.99

$4.95 ₡2,232

27.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 QAR 1.90

$1.19 ₡537

-56.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.49 QAR 100.0

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-61.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 QAR 6.82

$2.24 ₡1,011

-16.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 QAR 7.46

$1.55 ₡701

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.47 QAR 49.00

$8.86 ₡3,993

52.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 QAR 1.96

$1.57 ₡708

-65.61%

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

$28.4K QAR 103.4K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

30.34%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-35.79%

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

$87.0 QAR 316

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-6.90%

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

$34.20 QAR 124

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-2.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 QAR 318

$51.5 ₡23.2K

69.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 QAR 455

$71.4 ₡32.2K

75.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.54 QAR 67.4

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-47.69%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 QAR 45.63

$7.84 ₡3,535

60.08%

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

$673 QAR 2,448

$490 ₡220.7K

37.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,519 QAR 34.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-19.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 QAR 218

$53.5 ₡24.1K

11.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 QAR 197

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-2.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 QAR 368

$79.3 ₡35.7K

27.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 QAR 316

$78.9 ₡35.6K

10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 QAR 6,841

$786 ₡354.3K

139.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 QAR 4,248

$780 ₡351.6K

49.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,444 QAR 12.5K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-10.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 QAR 8,347

$1,407 ₡634.4K

63.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,125 QAR 15.0K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-40.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,463 QAR 8,958

$1,201 ₡541.3K

105.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,286 QAR 12.0K

$876 ₡395.0K

274.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

8.62

-31.32%

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

Last update for Doha: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Doha

$1.2K 55.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 33.2% $388

Groceries & Markets

Doha

$214 10.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 63.3% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Doha

$209 10%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 13.7% $29

Eating Out

Doha

$177 8.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 18.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Doha

$150 7.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 42.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Doha

$136 6.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 11.5% $16

Getting Around

Doha

$42 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 108% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,881 in Doha versus $786 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 275% higher in Doha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Doha versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $214 in Doha vs $350 in Nosara – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇶🇦 Doha

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

23:23 11:23 PM

9 h behind Doha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,312,947 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.245 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to QAR – Qatari Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇶🇦 Qatari Riyal (ر.ق)

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.08 QAR (1 QAR = 0.245 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 QAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Doha Nosara 13,940 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Doha
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

Doha vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,147 per month in Doha and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 162% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $673 per month in Doha and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Doha at $2,098. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Doha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.