Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Al-musayyib

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-musayyib: $767 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Al-musayyib
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Al-musayyib Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Al-musayyib

🇮🇶 Iraq

$767

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $767 in Al-musayyib.

Nosara $1,839
Al-musayyib $767

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,171 in Al-musayyib.

Nosara $2,828
Al-musayyib $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,575 in Al-musayyib.

Nosara $3,818
Al-musayyib $1,575

Living in Nosara is roughly 140% more expensive than in Al-musayyib, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.26 IQD 6,436

189.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$29.42 IQD 44.4K

107.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.40 IQD 9,674

17.50%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.74 IQD 4,138

60.95%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.35 IQD 534

397.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.22 IQD 333

495.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.23 IQD 4,885

1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.26 IQD 4,922

37.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.91 IQD 1,379

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.73 IQD 1,108

313.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.28 IQD 1,940

96.09%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.31 IQD 1,976

172.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$3.31 IQD 5,004

124.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.29 IQD 4,966

219.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.93 IQD 15.0K

40.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.00 IQD 1,512

135.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.96 IQD 1,446

67.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.89 IQD 1,338

439.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.47 IQD 711

242.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.54 IQD 822

603.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.47 IQD 705

685.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.47 IQD 716

140.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.32 IQD 478

731.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.68 IQD 2,533

208.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.51 IQD 17.4K

72.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.90 IQD 2,878

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.97 IQD 2,970

84.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.45 IQD 679

148.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$18.63 IQD 28.1K

289.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.02 IQD 3,057

5.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.29 IQD 1,956

21.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.64 IQD 10.0K

28.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.54 IQD 820

181.48%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$16.4K IQD 24.9M

31.36%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

104.66%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$190 IQD 287.7K

-49.42%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.40 IQD 26.3K

106.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

47.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$33.63 IQD 50.8K

112.88%

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 220.7K

238.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,987 IQD 4.5M

297.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$24.48 IQD 37.0K

120.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$28.70 IQD 43.4K

93.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.5 IQD 91.4K

28.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$42.48 IQD 64.2K

87.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$152 IQD 229.0K

419.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$115 IQD 173.9K

590.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$392 IQD 592.3K

904.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$308 IQD 465.5K

360.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$721 IQD 1.1M

858.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$570 IQD 861.9K

114.59%

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-musayyib: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Al-musayyib

$115 15% 85.5% $679

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Al-musayyib

$144 18.8% 59% $208

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Al-musayyib

$111 14.5% 47.5% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Al-musayyib

$244 31.8% 31.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Al-musayyib

$70 9.2% 41.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Al-musayyib

$53 7% 38.8% $34

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Al-musayyib

$29 3.8% 66.8% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $152 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $29.00 in Al-musayyib for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $144 per month, with Al-musayyib cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇶 Al-musayyib

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

10:05 10:05 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

279,939

💱 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 = 5.88 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 = 505 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 = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Al-musayyib 12,890 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Al-musayyib

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-musayyib: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Al-musayyib differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $767 including rent). Al-musayyib 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 $1,151 in Al-musayyib 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 $152 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 144% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $767 in Al-musayyib versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-musayyib but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al-musayyib 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-musayyib 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-musayyib gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.