Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: $953 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos
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Madinat As Sultan Qaboos Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🇴🇲 Oman

$953

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $953 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $953
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,433 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $1,433
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos $1,914
Nosara $3,818

Living in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos costs roughly 48% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Madinat As Sultan Qaboos is 29% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 OMR 2.04

$12.35 ₡5,539

-57.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.70 OMR 15.29

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-35.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$7.52 ₡3,373

3.19%

Cappuccino

$4.94 OMR 1.90

$4.41 ₡1,978

12.02%

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

$0.84 OMR 0.32

$1.74 ₡780

-51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

$1.31 ₡587

-77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

$3.28 ₡1,471

293.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.93 OMR 4.98

$4.47 ₡2,004

189.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$1.56 ₡701

48.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$3.02 ₡1,355

-60.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 OMR 0.70

$2.51 ₡1,125

-27.49%

Eggs

$3.03 OMR 1.17

$3.57 ₡1,603

-15.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 OMR 2.74

$7.43 ₡3,333

-4.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 OMR 2.70

$10.52 ₡4,717

-33.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 OMR 4.07

$13.97 ₡6,265

-24.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 OMR 1.38

$2.35 ₡1,052

52.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 OMR 0.78

$1.61 ₡720

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 OMR 0.90

$4.80 ₡2,152

-51.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 OMR 0.50

$1.61 ₡724

-18.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.45

$3.80 ₡1,703

-69.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$3.69 ₡1,657

-65.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 OMR 0.71

$1.13 ₡507

63.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 OMR 0.27

$2.66 ₡1,191

-73.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 OMR 2.56

$5.18 ₡2,321

28.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 OMR 6.07

$19.88 ₡8,916

-20.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.08 OMR 2.34

$2.90 ₡1,300

109.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.22 OMR 3.93

$3.63 ₡1,626

181.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 OMR 1.28

$2.14 ₡958

55.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 OMR 0.98

$1.57 ₡703

63.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

$8.52 ₡3,823

-9.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$1.52 ₡682

-57.89%

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

$25.3K OMR 9,736

$21.6K ₡9.7M

17.03%

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

$22.3K OMR 8,570

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-35.51%

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

$176 OMR 67.9

$96.3 ₡43.2K

83.09%

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

$31.16 OMR 12.00

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-13.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 OMR 27.51

$53.6 ₡24.0K

33.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 OMR 4.01

$7.89 ₡3,539

32.19%

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

$292 OMR 112

$494 ₡221.6K

-40.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K OMR 4,033

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-11.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 OMR 21.33

$53.9 ₡24.2K

2.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.86 OMR 16.89

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-20.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 OMR 34.12

$77.9 ₡34.9K

13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 OMR 34.02

$79.6 ₡35.7K

11.00%

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)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

8.62

-39.10%

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

Last update for Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$293 30.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 20.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$279 29.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 33.4% $93

Eating Out

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$220 23.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 3.7% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$124 13%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.4% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$21 * 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 319% $67

Getting Around

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

$16 * 1.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 440% $71

Accommodation & Living

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $40.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $352 per month, with Madinat As Sultan Qaboos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

22:25 10:25 PM

10 h behind Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos Nosara 14,620 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos
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

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Madinat As Sultan Qaboos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,430 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $953 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $953 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Madinat As Sultan Qaboos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Madinat As Sultan Qaboos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $953 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Madinat As Sultan Qaboos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.