Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jubail and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Jubail: $1,093 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Jubail
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Jubail Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Jubail

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,093

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,093 in Jubail versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Jubail $1,093
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,699 in Jubail versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Jubail $1,699
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,305 in Jubail versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Jubail $2,305
Nosara $3,712

Living in Jubail costs roughly 41% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jubail is 18% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.72 SAR 25.22

$12.22 ₡5,509

-45.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.26 SAR 151

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-33.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 SAR 34.93

$7.54 ₡3,399

23.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 SAR 8.78

Cappuccino

$4.03 SAR 15.14

$4.31 ₡1,941

-6.50%

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

$0.98 SAR 3.69

$1.72 ₡773

-43.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.35 ₡608

-80.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 SAR 5.70

$1.57 ₡707

-3.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 SAR 5.25

$3.17 ₡1,429

-55.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

$2.42 ₡1,091

-34.30%

Eggs

$2.06 SAR 7.75

$3.57 ₡1,609

-42.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 SAR 37.17

$7.43 ₡3,349

33.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 SAR 24.22

$10.42 ₡4,697

-38.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.74 SAR 44.07

$13.66 ₡6,156

-14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$2.32 ₡1,044

-6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.55

$1.61 ₡728

8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$4.74 ₡2,138

-68.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.26

$1.66 ₡747

0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.86

$3.72 ₡1,679

-65.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 5.00

$3.57 ₡1,611

-62.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$1.10 ₡497

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$2.55 ₡1,149

-78.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.72

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 SAR 24.45

$4.95 ₡2,232

31.52%

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)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$1.19 ₡537

9.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.68 SAR 88.9

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-67.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 SAR 12.58

$2.24 ₡1,011

49.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 SAR 9.86

$1.55 ₡701

69.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 SAR 50.4

$8.86 ₡3,993

51.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.57 ₡708

-59.24%

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

$44.8K SAR 168.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

105.48%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-38.55%

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

$80.7 SAR 303

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-13.61%

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

$27.59 SAR 104

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 SAR 250

$51.5 ₡23.2K

29.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 SAR 386

$71.4 ₡32.2K

43.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.07 SAR 150

$35.44 ₡16.0K

13.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 SAR 50.4

$7.84 ₡3,535

71.17%

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

$181 SAR 681

$490 ₡220.7K

-62.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,911 SAR 29.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-33.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.97 SAR 158

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-21.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 SAR 226

$55.8 ₡25.1K

8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 SAR 309

$79.3 ₡35.7K

3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 SAR 329

$78.9 ₡35.6K

10.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 SAR 1,614

$786 ₡354.3K

-45.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 SAR 1,119

$780 ₡351.6K

-61.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 SAR 2,433

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-83.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 SAR 2,021

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-61.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 SAR 10.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-59.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,366 SAR 5,131

$1,201 ₡541.3K

13.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,622 SAR 6,090

$876 ₡395.0K

85.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

8.62

-34.80%

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

Last update for Jubail: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jubail

$298 27.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 162% $482

Groceries & Markets

Jubail

$196 17.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 78% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jubail

$175 15.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 3% $5.3

Eating Out

Jubail

$135 12.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 55.2% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Jubail

$130 11.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 32.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Jubail

$122 11.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 1.7% $2.1

Getting Around

Jubail

$45 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 91.5% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Jubail and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays 85% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Jubail vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $350 per month, with Jubail cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Jubail

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

01:31 1:31 AM

9 h behind Jubail

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,778

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 = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 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 SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jubail Nosara 13,680 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Jubail
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

Jubail vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jubail the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 85% higher in Jubail, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $430 in Jubail versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,093 per month in Jubail versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jubail runs roughly 204% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,093 in Jubail versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jubail but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Jubail the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jubail delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,093 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jubail hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Jubail 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 Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.