Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Al Fallujah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Fallujah: $826 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Al Fallujah
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Al Fallujah Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Al Fallujah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $826 in Al Fallujah.

Nosara $1,839
Al Fallujah $826

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,218 in Al Fallujah.

Nosara $2,828
Al Fallujah $1,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,609 in Al Fallujah.

Nosara $3,818
Al Fallujah $1,609

Living in Nosara is roughly 122% more expensive than in Al Fallujah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Al Fallujah is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.27 IQD 6,456

189.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$30.03 IQD 45.4K

103.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.45 IQD 9,753

16.59%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.68 IQD 4,050

64.55%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.33 IQD 495

427.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.20 IQD 302

555.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.28 IQD 4,957

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.21 IQD 4,847

39.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.88 IQD 1,336

77.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.68 IQD 1,033

344.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.31 IQD 1,974

91.60%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.69 IQD 2,553

111.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$3.38 IQD 5,108

119.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.22 IQD 6,380

149.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.55 IQD 19.0K

11.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.03 IQD 1,559

128.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.93 IQD 1,399

73.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.93 IQD 1,412

416.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.69 IQD 1,046

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.59 IQD 890

544.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.59 IQD 892

525.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.55 IQD 828

105.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.61 IQD 922

336.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.61 IQD 2,427

221.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.54 IQD 17.4K

72.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.96 IQD 2,960

47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.97 IQD 2,976

84.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.42 IQD 635

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$19.31 IQD 29.2K

276.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.94 IQD 2,932

10.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.30 IQD 1,957

20.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.57 IQD 9,921

29.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.55 IQD 828

176.36%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

31.04%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

106.44%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$188 IQD 284.3K

-48.83%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.84 IQD 27.0K

101.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$36.76 IQD 55.5K

45.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$40.84 IQD 61.7K

75.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.91 IQD 15.0K

-20.38%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$146 IQD 220.0K

239.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,020 IQD 4.6M

292.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$25.06 IQD 37.9K

115.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$27.75 IQD 41.9K

99.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.6 IQD 91.5K

28.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$41.11 IQD 62.1K

93.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$195 IQD 294.9K

303.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$150 IQD 226.1K

430.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$353 IQD 533.2K

1016.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$280 IQD 423.8K

405.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$609 IQD 919.7K

1035.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$605 IQD 914.7K

102.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.12

109.22%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Al Fallujah

$150 18.1% 81.2% $645

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Al Fallujah

$164 19.8% 53.5% $189

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Al Fallujah

$111 13.4% 47.8% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Al Fallujah

$243 29.4% 30.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Al Fallujah

$70 8.4% 42.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Al Fallujah

$61 7.3% 30.6% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Al Fallujah

$29 3.6% 66.2% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $195 in Al Fallujah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $30.00 in Al Fallujah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $164 per month, with Al Fallujah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇶 Al Fallujah

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

19:24 7:24 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

326,471

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Al Fallujah 12,820 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Al Fallujah

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 Fallujah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Fallujah wins on cost – living expenses run 122% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Fallujah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,240 in Al Fallujah 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $195 in Al Fallujah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $146 in Al Fallujah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $826 in Al Fallujah versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Fallujah but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al Fallujah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Fallujah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $826 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Fallujah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Al Fallujah 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 Fallujah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.