Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Arar

For one person, living is cheaper in Arar: $1,185 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Arar
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Arar Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Arar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Arar

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,185 in Arar, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Arar $1,185

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,758 in Arar, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Arar $1,758

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,330 in Arar, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Arar $2,330

Nosara costs about 55% more than Arar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Arar is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.20 SAR 23.25

99.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.34 SAR 140

63.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.78 SAR 29.18

-3.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SAR 8.72

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.16 SAR 11.88

39.56%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.86 SAR 3.24

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.26 SAR 0.98

403.85%

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

$1.69 SAR 6.33

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.31 SAR 4.92

130.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.24 SAR 8.41

12.05%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.43 SAR 9.13

46.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.61 SAR 28.54

-2.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.97 SAR 29.91

31.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.96 SAR 48.62

7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.25 SAR 8.46

4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.67 SAR 6.27

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.59 SAR 5.97

201.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.64 SAR 6.14

-1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.23 SAR 4.62

208.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.32 SAR 4.97

179.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.22 SAR 4.58

-7.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.55 SAR 2.06

383.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.50 SAR 24.38

-20.31%

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

$1.04 SAR 3.91

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$36.99 SAR 139

96.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.70 SAR 10.13

-20.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.85 SAR 6.95

-15.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.26 SAR 49.76

-35.75%

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

$43.8K SAR 164.5K

-50.72%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.3K SAR 80.1K

61.71%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$102 SAR 384

-5.78%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.69 SAR 123

9.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$67.5 SAR 253

-20.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$81.8 SAR 307

-12.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.21 SAR 49.58

-40.27%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$421 SAR 1,579

17.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,110 SAR 30.4K

46.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$41.56 SAR 156

29.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$53.8 SAR 202

2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$96.2 SAR 361

-18.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$86.4 SAR 324

-7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$587 SAR 2,202

34.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$377 SAR 1,416

110.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$826 SAR 3,100

376.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$574 SAR 2,155

147.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,369 SAR 8,891

191.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,355 SAR 5,084

-9.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Arar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Arar

$377 31.8% 52.5% $417

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Arar

$204 17.2% 42.1% $148

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Arar

$115 9.7% 45.5% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Arar

$202 17.1% 8.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Arar

$125 10.6% 4.1% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Arar

$108 9.1% 23.8% $21

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Arar

$53 4.5% 39% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $587 in Arar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $37.00 in Arar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $204 – making Arar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Arar

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

08:37 8:37 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

167,057

💱 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 Arar 12,730 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Arar

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 Arar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,185 in Arar – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,778 in Arar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 96% less in Arar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $421 in Arar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arar, where all-in costs run around $1,185, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Arar 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 $1,185 in Arar 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 Arar. 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.