Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Medina: $1,364 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Medina
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Medina Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,364

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,364 per month in Medina vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Medina $1,364
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,816 per month in Medina vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Medina $1,816
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,268 per month in Medina vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Medina $2,268
Nosara $3,712

Medina is about 26% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medina and Nosara sit above the global median – Medina by 2%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.53 SAR 20.75

$12.22 ₡5,509

-54.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.09 SAR 120

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-46.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 SAR 30.78

$7.54 ₡3,399

8.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.62

Cappuccino

$2.70 SAR 10.15

$4.31 ₡1,941

-37.35%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.84

$1.72 ₡773

-55.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.95

$1.35 ₡608

-81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

$1.57 ₡707

-5.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.44

$3.17 ₡1,429

-70.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.70

$2.42 ₡1,091

-4.13%

Eggs

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$3.57 ₡1,609

-41.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.44 SAR 20.44

$7.43 ₡3,349

-26.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 SAR 26.39

$10.42 ₡4,697

-32.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 SAR 46.90

$13.66 ₡6,156

-8.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 SAR 9.10

$2.32 ₡1,044

4.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

$1.61 ₡728

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

$4.74 ₡2,138

-51.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

$1.66 ₡747

-6.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$3.72 ₡1,679

-63.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

$3.57 ₡1,611

-61.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 SAR 3.49

$1.10 ₡497

-15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 SAR 2.68

$2.55 ₡1,149

-72.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SAR 5.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SAR 28.32

$4.95 ₡2,232

52.32%

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)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.19 ₡537

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.80 SAR 138

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-48.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$2.24 ₡1,011

-39.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

$1.55 ₡701

8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 SAR 21.44

$8.86 ₡3,993

-35.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$1.57 ₡708

-59.24%

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

$41.8K SAR 157.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

91.75%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-40.38%

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

$149 SAR 558

$93.5 ₡42.1K

59.05%

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

$27.41 SAR 103

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-21.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.7 SAR 341

$51.5 ₡23.2K

76.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.9 SAR 296

$71.4 ₡32.2K

10.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.01 SAR 33.83

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-74.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 SAR 50.7

$7.84 ₡3,535

72.32%

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

$294 SAR 1,103

$490 ₡220.7K

-39.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,483 SAR 20.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-53.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.85 SAR 138

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-31.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-2.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 SAR 252

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 SAR 263

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-11.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 SAR 2,139

$786 ₡354.3K

-27.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 SAR 1,988

$780 ₡351.6K

-32.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 SAR 2,926

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-79.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 SAR 2,151

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-59.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,309 SAR 8,670

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-66.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 SAR 5,091

$1,201 ₡541.3K

12.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 SAR 4,671

$876 ₡395.0K

41.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

8.62

-51.62%

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

Last update for Medina: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medina

$529 39.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 47.3% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medina

$267 19.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 32.5% $87

Groceries & Markets

Medina

$191 14.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 83.3% $159

Sport & Entertainment

Medina

$106 7.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 17.8% $19

Eating Out

Medina

$105 7.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 99% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Medina

$103 7.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 17.2% $18

Getting Around

Medina

$51 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 71.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $570 in Medina versus $786 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 Medina, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Medina versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $350 – making Medina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Medina

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

00:28 12:28 AM

9 h behind Medina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,100,093

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

Medina Nosara 12,950 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medina
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

Medina vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 35% more than Medina, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,047 per month in Medina and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $294 per month in Medina and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Medina, where all-in costs run around $1,364, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Medina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medina costs $1,364 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Medina. 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.