Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Al-Rumaitha

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-Rumaitha
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Al-Rumaitha Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha.

Nosara $1,839
Al-Rumaitha $650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha.

Nosara $2,828
Al-Rumaitha $1,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha.

Nosara $3,818
Al-Rumaitha $1,403

Living in Nosara is roughly 183% more expensive than in Al-Rumaitha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Al-Rumaitha is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.62 IQD 5,465

241.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

164.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

6.21%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.33 IQD 3,523

89.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.31 IQD 471

461.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.19 IQD 286

589.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.91 IQD 4,398

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.60 IQD 3,936

71.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.86 IQD 1,298

81.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.78 IQD 1,185

287.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.37 IQD 2,063

83.21%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.58 IQD 2,392

125.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.09 IQD 6,174

81.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.61 IQD 5,449

191.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

15.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.92 IQD 1,384

155.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.95 IQD 1,428

69.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.84 IQD 1,268

471.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.66 IQD 1,002

143.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.56 IQD 844

578.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.56 IQD 849

558.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.56 IQD 839

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.47 IQD 717

465.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.63 IQD 2,468

217.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

85.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.40 IQD 2,120

107.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.78 IQD 2,691

103.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.42 IQD 639

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

228.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.80 IQD 2,724

18.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.34 IQD 2,031

17.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.81 IQD 7,268

77.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.51 IQD 766

198.04%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

44.63%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

104.52%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

8.68%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

196.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

115.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

91.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$3.39 IQD 5,120

929.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

-14.24%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$128 IQD 193.8K

285.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

341.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

159.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

162.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

66.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

158.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$178 IQD 269.0K

342.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$128 IQD 194.1K

518.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$373 IQD 564.1K

955.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$308 IQD 465.9K

360.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$629 IQD 951.1K

998.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$532 IQD 803.7K

130.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.33

158.86%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Al-Rumaitha

$128 19.8% 83.8% $666

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7% 56.2% $198

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4% 52.8% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3% 32.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3% 55.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6% 36.3% $32

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5% 62.9% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $154 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

21:52 9:52 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

115,431

💱 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-Rumaitha 13,040 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Al-Rumaitha

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-Rumaitha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 183% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $975 in Al-Rumaitha 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 $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 229% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Rumaitha is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Al-Rumaitha 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-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.