Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khafji and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Khafji: $675 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Khafji
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$675
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $675 in Khafji versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Khafji $675
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,061 in Khafji versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Khafji $1,061
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,447 in Khafji versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Khafji $1,447
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Khafji costs roughly 63% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Khafji is 50% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Khafji
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.22 SAR 12.09
$12.35 ₡5,539
-73.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.71 SAR 130
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-43.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.00 SAR 18.75
$7.52 ₡3,373
-33.51%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.92 SAR 3.44
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 SAR 5.95
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.02 SAR 11.32
$4.41 ₡1,978
-31.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 SAR 2.73
$1.74 ₡780
-58.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19 SAR 0.72
$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
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Khafji
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 SAR 6.74
$1.56 ₡701
15.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.34 SAR 5.02
$3.02 ₡1,355
-55.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 SAR 7.04
$2.51 ₡1,125
-25.10%
Eggs
$2.13 SAR 7.98
$3.57 ₡1,603
-40.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.62 SAR 28.58
$7.43 ₡3,333
2.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.07 SAR 30.30
$10.52 ₡4,717
-23.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.64 SAR 47.42
$13.97 ₡6,265
-9.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 SAR 8.26
$2.35 ₡1,052
-6.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 SAR 6.18
$1.61 ₡720
2.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.59 SAR 5.98
$4.80 ₡2,152
-66.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.60 SAR 6.00
$1.61 ₡724
-0.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.12 SAR 4.21
$3.80 ₡1,703
-70.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.20 SAR 4.49
$3.69 ₡1,657
-67.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 SAR 4.78
$1.13 ₡507
12.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 SAR 2.15
$2.66 ₡1,191
-78.57%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.04 SAR 15.15
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 SAR 5.43
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 SAR 8.02
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.66 SAR 28.75
$5.18 ₡2,321
47.88%
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
-
🚌 Getting Around
Khafji
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡504
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 SAR 9.90
$2.14 ₡958
23.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.64 SAR 9.91
$1.57 ₡703
68.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.39 SAR 50.3
$8.52 ₡3,823
57.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.64 SAR 2.41
$1.52 ₡682
-57.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$65.7K SAR 246.6K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
204.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K SAR 77.9K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-39.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 SAR 490
$96.3 ₡43.2K
35.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.18 SAR 121
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-10.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.0 SAR 236
$53.6 ₡24.0K
17.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.28 SAR 49.82
$7.89 ₡3,539
68.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Khafji
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$133 SAR 500
$494 ₡221.6K
-73.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,009 SAR 15.0K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-66.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.39 SAR 159
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-21.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.33 SAR 185
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-10.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.5 SAR 355
$77.9 ₡34.9K
21.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.1 SAR 342
$79.6 ₡35.7K
14.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Khafji
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$678 SAR 2,544
$788 ₡353.4K
-13.98%
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)
-
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Khafji
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
8.62
-31.55%

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

Last update for Khafji: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
$226
Nosara
$186 17.7% $40
Groceries & Markets
Khafji
$201
Nosara
$352 74.9% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
$125
Nosara
$120 3.8% $4.7
Eating Out
Khafji
$81
Nosara
$212 163% $131
Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
$27 *
Nosara
$87 229% $61
Getting Around
Khafji
$16 *
Nosara
$87 450% $71
Accommodation & Living
Khafji
- *
Nosara
$794

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Khafji and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Khafji vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $352 per month, with Khafji cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Khafji
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
21:49 9:49 PM
12:49 12:49 PM
9 h behind Khafji
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,012
4,912
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Khafji Nosara 13,500 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Khafji
  • 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
Khafji vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Khafji?
Khafji is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 172% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,013 in Khafji and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Khafji and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Khafji versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $133 in Khafji versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Khafji or in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Khafji – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Khafji or in Nosara?
At $675 in Khafji versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Khafji but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Khafji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Khafji or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Khafji is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Khafji or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Khafji 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Khafji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Khafji vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?