Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Al Budayyi

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Budayyi: $125 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Al Budayyi

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Al Budayyi

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 Budayyi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $125 in Al Budayyi.

Nosara $1,839
Al Budayyi $125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $135 in Al Budayyi.

Nosara $2,828
Al Budayyi $135

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $144 in Al Budayyi.

Nosara $3,818
Al Budayyi $144

Living in Nosara is roughly 1375% more expensive than in Al Budayyi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Al Budayyi is 91% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

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

$1.74 ₡781

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$19.81 BHD 7.48

81.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$105 BHD 39.57

-48.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

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

$494 ₡221.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al Budayyi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Al Budayyi

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Al Budayyi

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Al Budayyi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Al Budayyi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Al Budayyi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Al Budayyi

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Al Budayyi

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇭 Al Budayyi

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

04:48 4:48 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.422 BHD (1 BHD = 2.37 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Al Budayyi 13,800 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Al Budayyi

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 Budayyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Budayyi wins on cost – living expenses run 1375% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Budayyi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $187 in Al Budayyi 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.

At $125 in Al Budayyi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Budayyi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al Budayyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Budayyi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $125 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Budayyi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Al Budayyi 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 Al Budayyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1375% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.