Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Al-`awabi

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-`awabi: $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.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Al-`awabi
🇴🇲 Oman
$953
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Al-`awabi

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 Al-`awabi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $953 in Al-`awabi, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Al-`awabi $953

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,431 in Al-`awabi, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Al-`awabi $1,431

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,909 in Al-`awabi, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Al-`awabi $1,909

Nosara costs about 93% more than Al-`awabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Al-`awabi is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Al-`awabi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$5.06 OMR 1.95
144.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$38.93 OMR 14.99
57.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$7.61 OMR 2.93
-1.18%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$5.06 OMR 1.95
-12.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$0.89 OMR 0.34
95.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.27 OMR 0.10
385.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$12.94 OMR 4.98
-74.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$13.19 OMR 5.08
-66.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Al-`awabi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$2.27 OMR 0.87
-31.28%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.23 OMR 0.47
145.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.88 OMR 0.72
33.51%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$2.96 OMR 1.14
20.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$7.29 OMR 2.81
1.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$7.17 OMR 2.76
46.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$10.59 OMR 4.08
31.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$3.56 OMR 1.37
-33.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.92 OMR 0.74
-16.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$2.33 OMR 0.90
106.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$1.28 OMR 0.49
25.78%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.22 OMR 0.47
211.48%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.25 OMR 0.48
195.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.87 OMR 0.72
-39.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.66 OMR 0.25
303.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$6.41 OMR 2.47
-19.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$15.72 OMR 6.05
26.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$6.06 OMR 2.33
-52.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$10.33 OMR 3.98
-64.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Al-`awabi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$3.29 OMR 1.27
-34.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$2.55 OMR 0.98
-38.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$7.72 OMR 2.97
10.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$0.65 OMR 0.25
133.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$25.4K OMR 9,791
-15.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$23.0K OMR 8,858
50.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Al-`awabi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$177 OMR 68.2
-45.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$31.35 OMR 12.07
14.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$71.0 OMR 27.33
-24.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Al-`awabi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$10.34 OMR 3.98
-23.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Al-`awabi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$286 OMR 110
72.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$10.5K OMR 4,032
13.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Al-`awabi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$55.6 OMR 21.42
-3.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$43.72 OMR 16.83
26.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$90.5 OMR 34.83
-13.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$86.8 OMR 33.41
-8.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Al-`awabi
Difference
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Al-`awabi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
5.25
64.19%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al-`awabi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Al-`awabi
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Al-`awabi
$293 16.9% $59
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Al-`awabi
$220 3.7% $7.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Al-`awabi
$279 50.5% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Al-`awabi
$124 3.6% $4.4
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Al-`awabi
$21 * 76.3% $67
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Al-`awabi
$16 * 81.6% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $39.00 in Al-`awabi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $293 – making Al-`awabi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇴🇲 Al-`awabi
🕒 Local time
01:37 1:37 AM
11:37 11:37 AM
10 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
10,711
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Al-`awabi 14,560 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Al-`awabi

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 Al-`awabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Al-`awabi cheaper than Nosara?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,430 in Al-`awabi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Nosara and in Al-`awabi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $953 in Al-`awabi. That's a gap of about 93%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $286 in Al-`awabi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Al-`awabi?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-`awabi, where all-in costs run around $953, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Al-`awabi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Nosara or Al-`awabi more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Al-`awabi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Al-`awabi?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Al-`awabi. 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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