Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duhok and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $602 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
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Duhok Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$602

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $602 in Duhok versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Duhok $602
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $968 in Duhok versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Duhok $968
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,334 in Duhok versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Duhok $1,334
Nosara $3,818

Living in Duhok costs roughly 67% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Duhok is 55% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.35 IQD 5,069

$12.35 ₡5,539

-72.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.55 IQD 25.0K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-72.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-6.38%

Cappuccino

$2.32 IQD 3,511

$4.41 ₡1,978

-47.39%

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

$0.34 IQD 517

$1.74 ₡780

-80.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 IQD 229

$1.31 ₡587

-88.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 IQD 2,430

$3.28 ₡1,471

-50.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 IQD 2,930

$4.47 ₡2,004

-56.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,680

$1.56 ₡701

-28.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,017

$3.02 ₡1,355

-77.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 IQD 2,262

$2.51 ₡1,125

-40.24%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,385

$3.57 ₡1,603

-55.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.03 IQD 7,594

$7.43 ₡3,333

-32.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 IQD 4,460

$10.52 ₡4,717

-71.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-22.48%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,453

$2.35 ₡1,052

-59.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,506

$1.61 ₡720

-37.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,109

$4.80 ₡2,152

-84.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,028

$1.61 ₡724

-57.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 894

$3.80 ₡1,703

-84.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 948

$3.69 ₡1,657

-82.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$1.13 ₡507

-46.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 IQD 719

$2.66 ₡1,191

-81.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.74 IQD 2,630

$5.18 ₡2,321

-66.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 IQD 16.0K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-46.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,200

$2.90 ₡1,300

-49.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,749

$3.63 ₡1,626

-49.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 486

$1.12 ₡504

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.69 IQD 23.7K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-78.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 IQD 2,555

$2.14 ₡958

-21.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,930

$1.57 ₡703

-18.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 IQD 8,491

$8.52 ₡3,823

-34.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 884

$1.52 ₡682

-61.18%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-23.64%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-50.79%

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

$85.5 IQD 129.1K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-11.24%

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

$8.81 IQD 13.3K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-75.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 IQD 36.4K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-54.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.83 IQD 75.3K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-30.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.66 IQD 40.3K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-23.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 IQD 11.4K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-4.31%

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

$108 IQD 163.9K

$494 ₡221.6K

-78.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,793 IQD 4.2M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-76.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.25 IQD 15.5K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-81.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 IQD 29.6K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-64.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.73 IQD 44.9K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-61.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.93 IQD 30.1K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-74.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 IQD 243.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

-79.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 IQD 174.0K

$794 ₡356.2K

-85.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 IQD 497.2K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-91.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 IQD 480.4K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-77.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$430 IQD 649.7K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-93.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$362 IQD 547.5K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-70.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 IQD 635.5K

$864 ₡387.3K

-51.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

8.62

-70.65%

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

Last update for Duhok: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Duhok

$153 25.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 130% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duhok

$118 19.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 56.9% $67

Accommodation & Living

Duhok

$115 19.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 590% $679

Eating Out

Duhok

$90 14.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 136% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Duhok

$65 10.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 34.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Duhok

$36 6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 236% $84

Getting Around

Duhok

$25 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 248% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $161 in Duhok and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 105% 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: $17.00 in Duhok vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $153 vs $352 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Duhok

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

12:11 12:11 PM

9 h behind Duhok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,900

4,912

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Duhok Nosara 12,550 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Duhok
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

Duhok vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duhok and Nosara differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($602 vs $1,839 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 105% 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: $161 in Duhok versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $108 in Duhok versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 130% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $602 in Duhok versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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, Duhok 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.