Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Al Mubarraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mubarraz: $1,270 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Al Mubarraz
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Al Mubarraz Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Al Mubarraz

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,270 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Al Mubarraz $1,270

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,895 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Al Mubarraz $1,895

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,520 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Al Mubarraz $2,520

Nosara costs about 45% more than Al Mubarraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Al Mubarraz is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.30 SAR 27.37

69.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.10 SAR 139

64.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.83 SAR 29.39

-3.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.27 SAR 16.02

3.28%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.70 SAR 2.64

148.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.28 SAR 1.06

367.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.77 SAR 6.65

-11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.25 SAR 4.71

141.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.45 SAR 9.20

2.45%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.12 SAR 11.69

14.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.53 SAR 39.51

-29.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.70 SAR 36.40

8.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.83 SAR 55.6

-5.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.92 SAR 10.97

-19.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.98 SAR 7.42

-18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.45 SAR 9.19

95.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.72 SAR 6.46

-6.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.18 SAR 4.41

222.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.27 SAR 4.77

190.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-33.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.58 SAR 2.19

358.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 SAR 8.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.56 SAR 28.35

-31.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.09 SAR 4.10

2.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$36.60 SAR 137

98.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.28 SAR 12.29

-34.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.86 SAR 6.98

-15.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.09 SAR 49.11

-34.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.64 SAR 2.40

137.50%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.3K SAR 132.5K

-38.80%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.9K SAR 85.9K

50.79%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$109 SAR 410

-11.84%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$30.08 SAR 113

19.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$73.1 SAR 274

-26.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$82.5 SAR 310

-13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.52 SAR 50.7

-41.64%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$542 SAR 2,032

-8.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.1K SAR 37.9K

17.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$58.5 SAR 220

-7.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$54.3 SAR 204

1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$105 SAR 392

-25.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$105 SAR 393

-24.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$580 SAR 2,178

35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$371 SAR 1,391

114.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$830 SAR 3,115

374.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$571 SAR 2,143

148.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,398 SAR 8,998

188.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,362 SAR 5,109

-10.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,089 SAR 4,086

-20.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.54

55.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al Mubarraz: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Al Mubarraz

$371 29.2% 53.3% $424

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Al Mubarraz

$242 19.1% 31.3% $110

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Al Mubarraz

$137 10.8% 35.3% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Al Mubarraz

$212 16.7% 14.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Al Mubarraz

$145 11.4% 20.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Al Mubarraz

$110 8.6% 25.4% $22

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Al Mubarraz

$54 4.2% 38.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $580 in Al Mubarraz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Al Mubarraz, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $37.00 in Al Mubarraz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $242 – making Al Mubarraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Al Mubarraz

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

08:04 8:04 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

290,802

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Nosara
Al Mubarraz

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 Mubarraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,270 in Al Mubarraz – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,905 in Al Mubarraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Mubarraz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $542 in Al Mubarraz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Mubarraz, where all-in costs run around $1,270, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Al Mubarraz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,270 in Al Mubarraz to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Al Mubarraz. 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.