Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawalli and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Hawalli: $667 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Hawalli
Learn more

Hawalli Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Hawalli

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$667

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $667 per month in Hawalli vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Hawalli $667
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,779 per month in Hawalli vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Hawalli $2,779
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Hawalli vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Hawalli $4,892
Nosara $3,818

Hawalli is about 64% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hawalli sits 51% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 KWD 1.51

$12.35 ₡5,539

-60.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 KWD 19.97

$61.2 ₡27.4K

5.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 KWD 2.70

$7.52 ₡3,373

16.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

Cappuccino

$4.79 KWD 1.48

$4.41 ₡1,978

8.62%

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

$0.44 KWD 0.14

$1.74 ₡780

-74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 KWD 0.09

$1.31 ₡587

-77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

$1.56 ₡701

1.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$3.02 ₡1,355

-49.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 KWD 0.60

$2.51 ₡1,125

-21.91%

Eggs

$2.08 KWD 0.64

$3.57 ₡1,603

-41.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.14 KWD 0.97

$7.43 ₡3,333

-57.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 KWD 1.45

$10.52 ₡4,717

-55.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.27 KWD 1.01

$13.97 ₡6,265

-76.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 KWD 0.76

$2.35 ₡1,052

5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 KWD 0.58

$1.61 ₡720

18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KWD 0.54

$4.80 ₡2,152

-63.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 KWD 0.45

$1.61 ₡724

-8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$3.80 ₡1,703

-65.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 KWD 0.44

$3.69 ₡1,657

-61.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 KWD 0.72

$1.13 ₡507

107.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 KWD 0.16

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 KWD 0.84

$5.18 ₡2,321

-47.10%

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 KWD 0.26

$1.12 ₡504

-25.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.05 KWD 15.11

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-32.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 KWD 1.46

$2.14 ₡958

121.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

$1.57 ₡703

109.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.74 KWD 4.85

$8.52 ₡3,823

84.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$1.52 ₡682

-76.97%

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

$21.0K KWD 6,484

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-2.60%

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

$20.3K KWD 6,246

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-41.27%

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

$66.5 KWD 20.49

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-30.94%

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

$22.61 KWD 6.97

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-37.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.42 KWD 7.83

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-52.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 KWD 19.66

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-10.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.40 KWD 3.51

$7.89 ₡3,539

44.49%

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

$299 KWD 92.1

$494 ₡221.6K

-39.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,529 KWD 2,936

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-19.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.80 KWD 9.80

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-41.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.08 KWD 12.04

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-29.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 KWD 30.09

$77.9 ₡34.9K

25.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 KWD 27.45

$79.6 ₡35.7K

11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,238 KWD 998

$1,419 ₡636.5K

128.16%

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)

$1,865 KWD 575

$864 ₡387.3K

115.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Hawalli: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hawalli

$151 22.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 134% $202

Eating Out

Hawalli

$126 18.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 68.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Hawalli

$116 17.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.6% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hawalli

$115 17.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 62.2% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Hawalli

$87 13%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 0.9% $0.8

Getting Around

Hawalli

$74 11%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 18.4% $14

Accommodation & Living

Hawalli

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 116% higher in Hawalli, 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 $65.0 in Hawalli versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $151 in Hawalli vs $352 in Nosara – so Hawalli wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Hawalli

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

17:06 5:06 PM

9 h behind Hawalli

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

164,212

4,912

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KWD – Kuwaiti Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hawalli Nosara 13,400 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Hawalli
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

Hawalli vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $667 in Hawalli, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 176% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,001 per month in Hawalli and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 134% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hawalli and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hawalli, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Hawalli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $667 in Hawalli to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Hawalli. 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.