Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koura and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Koura: $1,235 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Koura
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,235
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Koura vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Koura $1,235
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,937 per month in Koura vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Koura $1,937
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,638 per month in Koura vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Koura $2,638
  • Nosara $3,818

Koura is about 33% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Koura sits 9% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koura
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.95 LBP 1.1M
$12.35 ₡5,539
-3.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.5 LBP 6.1M
$61.2 ₡27.4K
11.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.07 LBP 901.7K
$7.52 ₡3,373
33.91%
Cappuccino
$4.49 LBP 402.1K
$4.41 ₡1,978
1.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 LBP 206.9K
$1.74 ₡780
32.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 LBP 81.4K
$1.31 ₡587
-30.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.10 LBP 456.2K
$3.28 ₡1,471
55.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.74 LBP 424.0K
$4.47 ₡2,004
6.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koura
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.01 LBP 180.3K
$1.56 ₡701
28.85%
White Bread (500g)
$0.85 LBP 76.2K
$3.02 ₡1,355
-71.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 LBP 210.3K
$2.51 ₡1,125
-6.37%
Eggs
$3.65 LBP 326.4K
$3.57 ₡1,603
2.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.91 LBP 976.2K
$7.43 ₡3,333
46.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.48 LBP 937.8K
$10.52 ₡4,717
-0.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.72 LBP 1.3M
$13.97 ₡6,265
5.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.13 LBP 280.0K
$2.35 ₡1,052
33.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 LBP 151.7K
$1.61 ₡720
4.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.62 LBP 144.6K
$4.80 ₡2,152
-66.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 LBP 132.8K
$1.61 ₡724
-8.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.19 LBP 106.8K
$3.80 ₡1,703
-68.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 LBP 143.8K
$3.69 ₡1,657
-56.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 LBP 108.1K
$1.13 ₡507
7.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 LBP 64.6K
$2.66 ₡1,191
-72.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.92 LBP 261.6K
$5.18 ₡2,321
-43.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.17 LBP 999.9K
$19.88 ₡8,916
-43.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 LBP 114.8K
$2.90 ₡1,300
-55.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 LBP 221.0K
$3.63 ₡1,626
-31.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Koura
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 LBP 174.5K
$1.12 ₡504
74.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.95 LBP 442.7K
$2.14 ₡958
131.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.28 LBP 203.7K
$1.57 ₡703
45.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.62 LBP 2.0M
$8.52 ₡3,823
165.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 LBP 79.0K
$1.52 ₡682
-42.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$54.4K LBP 4.9B
$21.6K ₡9.7M
151.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K LBP 2.9B
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-5.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koura
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$231 LBP 20.7M
$96.3 ₡43.2K
139.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.68 LBP 1.9M
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-39.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.07 LBP 3.4M
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-28.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koura
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.26 LBP 2.3M
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-64.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.87 LBP 883.7K
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-71.73%
Cinema Ticket
$10.08 LBP 902.5K
$7.89 ₡3,539
27.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koura
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$687 LBP 61.5M
$494 ₡221.6K
39.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K LBP 942.7M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-11.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koura
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.1 LBP 6.1M
$53.9 ₡24.2K
26.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.89 LBP 4.4M
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-11.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 LBP 12.5M
$77.9 ₡34.9K
78.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 LBP 10.9M
$79.6 ₡35.7K
53.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koura
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$252 LBP 22.5M
$788 ₡353.4K
-68.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$201 LBP 18.0M
$794 ₡356.2K
-74.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$443 LBP 39.7M
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-88.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$354 LBP 31.6M
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-75.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,134 LBP 101.5M
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-83.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$838 LBP 75.0M
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-31.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koura
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$606 LBP 54.3M
$864 ₡387.3K
-29.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
8.62
27.61%

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

Last update for Koura: 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
Koura
$291
Nosara
$186 36.1% $105
Groceries & Markets
Koura
$276
Nosara
$352 27.8% $77
Eating Out
Koura
$228
Nosara
$212 6.9% $16
Accommodation & Living
Koura
$201
Nosara
$794 295% $593
Clothing & Footwear
Koura
$170
Nosara
$120 29.5% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Koura
$45
Nosara
$87 92.3% $42
Getting Around
Koura
$24 *
Nosara
$87 261% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Koura versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 42% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Koura versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Koura vs $352 in Nosara – so Koura wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇱🇧 Koura
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
07:42 7:42 AM
22:42 10:42 PM
9 h behind Koura
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Koura Nosara 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Koura
  • 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
Koura vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Koura or Nosara?
Nosara costs about 49% more than Koura, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Koura and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,853 per month in Koura and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Koura or Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Koura, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Koura compared to Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,235 in Koura and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 49%.
How do childcare costs compare in Koura and in Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $687 per month in Koura and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Koura or in Nosara?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Koura, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Koura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Koura or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Koura costs $1,235 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Koura compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Koura or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Koura. 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.

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