Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Al-miqdadiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-miqdadiyah: $765 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Al-miqdadiyah
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Al-miqdadiyah Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Al-miqdadiyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Al-miqdadiyah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $765 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Nosara $1,839
Al-miqdadiyah $765

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,250 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Nosara $2,828
Al-miqdadiyah $1,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,735 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Nosara $3,818
Al-miqdadiyah $1,735

Living in Nosara is roughly 141% more expensive than in Al-miqdadiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Al-miqdadiyah is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.62 IQD 10.0K

86.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$36.13 IQD 54.6K

69.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.06 IQD 10.7K

6.52%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.39 IQD 5,125

30.09%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.84 IQD 1,276

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.33 IQD 505

296.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.22 IQD 7,886

-37.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.88 IQD 5,866

15.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.07 IQD 1,611

45.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.67 IQD 1,014

350.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.52 IQD 2,302

65.13%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.58 IQD 2,392

125.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.22 IQD 10.9K

2.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.35 IQD 6,572

141.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.56 IQD 19.0K

11.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.94 IQD 1,418

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.93 IQD 1,412

73.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.02 IQD 1,536

370.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.70 IQD 1,059

130.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.61 IQD 918

522.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.57 IQD 863

547.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.61 IQD 916

85.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.47 IQD 715

465.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.15 IQD 3,253

140.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.62 IQD 16.1K

87.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.43 IQD 2,156

102.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.81 IQD 2,740

100.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.46 IQD 696

143.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$20.75 IQD 31.4K

250.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.66 IQD 2,511

28.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.56 IQD 2,361

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.76 IQD 8,709

47.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.54 IQD 818

181.48%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

29.70%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

102.75%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$115 IQD 174.1K

-16.41%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$12.13 IQD 18.3K

195.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.45 IQD 36.9K

119.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$34.77 IQD 52.5K

105.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.60 IQD 14.5K

-17.81%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$318 IQD 481.1K

55.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,789 IQD 4.2M

325.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$26.94 IQD 40.7K

100.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$38.24 IQD 57.8K

44.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.1 IQD 90.9K

29.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

33.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$191 IQD 289.3K

311.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$118 IQD 178.5K

572.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$409 IQD 618.0K

863.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$341 IQD 516.0K

315.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$673 IQD 1.0M

926.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$601 IQD 908.4K

103.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.53

240.71%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al-miqdadiyah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Al-miqdadiyah

$118 15.5% 85.1% $676

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Al-miqdadiyah

$172 22.5% 51.2% $180

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Al-miqdadiyah

$153 20.1% 27.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Al-miqdadiyah

$152 19.9% 18.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Al-miqdadiyah

$83 10.9% 30.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Al-miqdadiyah

$54 7.1% 38.2% $33

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Al-miqdadiyah

$32 4.2% 63.2% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $191 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $36.00 in Al-miqdadiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $172 per month, with Al-miqdadiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇶 Al-miqdadiyah

🕒 Local time

11:37 11:37 AM

20:37 8:37 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

155,968

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Al-miqdadiyah 12,870 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Al-miqdadiyah

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-miqdadiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Al-miqdadiyah differ by about 141% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $765 including rent). Al-miqdadiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,147 in Al-miqdadiyah 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 $191 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $318 in Al-miqdadiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $765 in Al-miqdadiyah versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-miqdadiyah but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al-miqdadiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Al-miqdadiyah 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-miqdadiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.