Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Abha

For one person, living is cheaper in Abha: $1,060 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Abha
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Abha Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Abha

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Abha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Abha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,060 in Abha, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Abha $1,060

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,757 in Abha, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Abha $1,757

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,454 in Abha, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Abha $2,454

Nosara costs about 73% more than Abha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Abha is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.46 SAR 20.50

126.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$50.2 SAR 188

21.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.31 SAR 27.43

2.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.18 SAR 11.92

38.68%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.63 SAR 2.37

176.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.24 SAR 0.90

445.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.56 SAR 5.84

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.65 SAR 2.43

364.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.90 SAR 7.12

32.11%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.21 SAR 12.06

11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.57 SAR 17.15

62.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.44 SAR 27.90

41.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.32 SAR 68.8

-23.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.10 SAR 7.88

11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.57 SAR 5.91

205.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.56 SAR 5.84

3.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.25 SAR 8.46

68.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.27 SAR 4.77

190.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.33 SAR 1.25

242.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.47 SAR 1.78

465.96%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.44 SAR 16.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 SAR 4.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 SAR 5.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.58 SAR 35.95

-45.93%

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)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.86 SAR 3.24

30.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$37.13 SAR 139

95.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.89 SAR 10.85

-25.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.59 SAR 9.74

-39.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.67 SAR 51.3

-37.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.59 SAR 2.22

157.63%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$45.2K SAR 169.5K

-52.15%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.2K SAR 71.9K

80.10%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$89.1 SAR 334

8.08%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$37.23 SAR 140

-3.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$75.8 SAR 284

-29.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$92.6 SAR 348

-22.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$44.68 SAR 168

-21.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$15.72 SAR 59.0

-49.81%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$213 SAR 797

132.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,189 SAR 15.7K

183.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$31.21 SAR 117

72.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$70.2 SAR 263

-21.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.9 SAR 360

-18.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$66.5 SAR 250

19.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$316 SAR 1,185

149.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$251 SAR 941

216.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$528 SAR 1,983

645.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$572 SAR 2,148

147.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$932 SAR 3,497

641.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,343 SAR 5,040

-8.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,229 SAR 8,366

-61.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

43.67%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Abha: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Abha

$251 23.7% 68.4% $544

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Abha

$201 19% 42.9% $151

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Abha

$107 10.1% 49.4% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Abha

$202 19.1% 8.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Abha

$119 11.2% 1.1% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Abha

$124 11.7% 42% $37

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Abha

$56 5.3% 35.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $316 in Abha. 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 158% higher in Abha, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $50.0 in Abha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $201 – making Abha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Abha

🕒 Local time

19:27 7:27 PM

04:27 4:27 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

236,157

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Abha 13,520 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Abha

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

Nosara vs Abha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 73% more than Abha, 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 $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,591 in Abha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 75% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $50.0 in Abha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Abha, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Abha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Abha costs $1,060 versus $1,839 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 Abha. 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.