Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khamis Mushayt and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Khamis Mushayt: $1,207 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Khamis Mushayt
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Khamis Mushayt Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Khamis Mushayt

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,207

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Khamis Mushayt $1,207
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Khamis Mushayt versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Khamis Mushayt $1,692
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Khamis Mushayt versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Khamis Mushayt $2,176
Nosara $3,818

Living in Khamis Mushayt costs roughly 34% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Khamis Mushayt is 11% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 SAR 16.97

$12.35 ₡5,539

-63.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.95 SAR 120

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-47.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 SAR 26.36

$7.52 ₡3,373

-6.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SAR 9.69

Cappuccino

$2.91 SAR 10.92

$4.41 ₡1,978

-34.01%

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

$0.69 SAR 2.59

$1.74 ₡780

-60.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.87

$1.31 ₡587

-82.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SAR 6.06

$1.56 ₡701

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 SAR 1.43

$3.02 ₡1,355

-87.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 SAR 12.15

$2.51 ₡1,125

29.08%

Eggs

$2.41 SAR 9.03

$3.57 ₡1,603

-32.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 SAR 23.24

$7.43 ₡3,333

-16.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 SAR 20.98

$10.52 ₡4,717

-46.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$13.97 ₡6,265

-3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.02

$2.35 ₡1,052

-8.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$1.61 ₡720

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

$4.80 ₡2,152

-66.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

$1.61 ₡724

-3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.41

$3.80 ₡1,703

-69.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.01

$3.69 ₡1,657

-63.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 SAR 4.44

$1.13 ₡507

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.00

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.81 SAR 10.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$5.18 ₡2,321

32.05%

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)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$1.12 ₡504

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.06 SAR 158

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-42.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$2.14 ₡958

21.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.57 ₡703

9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.65 SAR 55.0

$8.52 ₡3,823

71.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$1.52 ₡682

-57.89%

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

$41.8K SAR 156.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

93.45%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-35.09%

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

$105 SAR 395

$96.3 ₡43.2K

9.44%

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

$32.67 SAR 123

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-8.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 SAR 271

$53.6 ₡24.0K

34.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.6 SAR 306

$71.6 ₡32.1K

13.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 SAR 49.43

$7.89 ₡3,539

66.92%

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

$475 SAR 1,782

$494 ₡221.6K

-3.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,865 SAR 25.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-42.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 SAR 169

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-16.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 SAR 189

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-9.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SAR 396

$77.9 ₡34.9K

35.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 SAR 312

$79.6 ₡35.7K

4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 SAR 1,990

$788 ₡353.4K

-32.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 SAR 1,594

$794 ₡356.2K

-46.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 SAR 3,187

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-78.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 SAR 1,941

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-63.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,044 SAR 7,669

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-70.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,575 SAR 5,911

$1,224 ₡549.0K

28.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,606 SAR 6,027

$864 ₡387.3K

85.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

8.62

-35.73%

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

Last update for Khamis Mushayt: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Khamis Mushayt

$425 35.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 87% $369

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Khamis Mushayt

$210 17.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 11.7% $25

Groceries & Markets

Khamis Mushayt

$182 15.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 93.1% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Khamis Mushayt

$128 10.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 6% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Khamis Mushayt

$108 8.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 19% $21

Eating Out

Khamis Mushayt

$96 7.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 121% $116

Getting Around

Khamis Mushayt

$58 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 51.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $530 in Khamis Mushayt and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Khamis Mushayt pays 86% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Khamis Mushayt vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $352 per month, with Khamis Mushayt cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Khamis Mushayt

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

18:51 6:51 PM

9 h behind Khamis Mushayt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

430,828

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 = 2.23 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Khamis Mushayt Nosara 13,540 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Khamis Mushayt
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

Khamis Mushayt vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khamis Mushayt wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Khamis Mushayt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 86% higher in Khamis Mushayt, 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: $530 in Khamis Mushayt versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 73% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $475 in Khamis Mushayt versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,207 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khamis Mushayt but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Khamis Mushayt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Khamis Mushayt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Khamis Mushayt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.