Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Al Khobar

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Khobar: $1,435 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,435 in Al Khobar.

Nosara $1,837
Al Khobar $1,435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,239 in Al Khobar.

Nosara $2,775
Al Khobar $2,239

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $3,043 in Al Khobar.

Nosara $3,712
Al Khobar $3,043

Living in Nosara is roughly 28% more expensive than in Al Khobar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Al Khobar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$6.78 SAR 25.46

80.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$58.9 SAR 221

2.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.08 SAR 30.34

-6.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 SAR 10.19

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.51 SAR 16.92

-4.43%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.92 SAR 3.45

86.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.40 SAR 1.52

237.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-7.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.26 SAR 4.72

151.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.55 SAR 9.59

-5.10%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.40 SAR 9.01

48.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.11 SAR 26.69

4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$10.30 SAR 38.68

1.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.59 SAR 43.52

17.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.77 SAR 10.40

-16.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.98 SAR 7.42

139.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.83 SAR 6.86

-9.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.36 SAR 5.10

173.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.67 SAR 6.26

113.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-34.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.55 SAR 2.05

363.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.61 SAR 24.84

-25.11%

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)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.74 SAR 2.77

60.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$67.0 SAR 252

7.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.38 SAR 12.68

-33.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-43.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$6.84 SAR 25.67

29.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.64 SAR 2.41

145.31%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$66.1K SAR 248.1K

-66.99%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

53.42%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$99.2 SAR 372

-5.78%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$32.92 SAR 124

6.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$69.7 SAR 262

-26.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$80.9 SAR 304

-11.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$36.24 SAR 136

-2.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$15.22 SAR 57.1

-48.49%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$602 SAR 2,262

-18.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,315 SAR 31.2K

42.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$62.8 SAR 236

-14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$83.7 SAR 314

-33.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$96.3 SAR 362

-17.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$92.4 SAR 347

-14.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$631 SAR 2,370

24.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$514 SAR 1,929

51.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,174 SAR 4,410

228.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$855 SAR 3,209

64.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,388 SAR 8,966

191.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,463 SAR 5,495

-17.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,872 SAR 7,028

-53.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.88

46.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Al Khobar

$514 36.1% 34.1% $266

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Al Khobar

$219 15.4% 37.3% $130

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Al Khobar

$138 9.7% 34.2% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Al Khobar

$202 14.2% 12.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Al Khobar

$151 10.6% 25.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Al Khobar

$111 7.8% 27.9% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Al Khobar

$87 6.1% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $631 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 114% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $59.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $219 per month, with Al Khobar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

09:08 9:08 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

219,679

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Al Khobar 13,770 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Al Khobar

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 Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Khobar wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Khobar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 114% lower in Al Khobar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $631 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Khobar runs roughly 8% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $602 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,435 in Al Khobar versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Khobar but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al Khobar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Khobar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,435 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Khobar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Al Khobar 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 Khobar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.