Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Az Zubayr

For one person, living is cheaper in Az Zubayr: $630 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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 Az Zubayr
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Az Zubayr Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Iraq

$630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Az Zubayr

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $630 in Az Zubayr.

Nosara $1,839
Az Zubayr $630

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,022 in Az Zubayr.

Nosara $2,828
Az Zubayr $1,022

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,415 in Az Zubayr.

Nosara $3,818
Az Zubayr $1,415

Living in Nosara is roughly 192% more expensive than in Az Zubayr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Az Zubayr is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.65 IQD 5,510

238.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$20.61 IQD 31.1K

196.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.13 IQD 9,269

22.68%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.61 IQD 3,948

68.97%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.36 IQD 545

383.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.21 IQD 325

523.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.24 IQD 4,903

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.58 IQD 3,898

73.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.95 IQD 1,432

64.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.72 IQD 1,092

319.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.38 IQD 2,092

81.88%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.56 IQD 2,359

128.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.14 IQD 6,254

79.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.73 IQD 5,637

182.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.03 IQD 18.2K

16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.84 IQD 1,277

179.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.97 IQD 1,468

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.89 IQD 1,350

439.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.69 IQD 1,046

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.56 IQD 849

578.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.51 IQD 765

623.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.51 IQD 767

121.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.44 IQD 661

504.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.85 IQD 2,795

180.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.37 IQD 14.2K

112.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.49 IQD 2,251

94.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.68 IQD 2,537

116.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.38 IQD 567

194.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$21.78 IQD 32.9K

233.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.98 IQD 2,990

8.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.33 IQD 2,007

18.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.35 IQD 9,602

34.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.59 IQD 885

157.63%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$17.4K IQD 26.3M

23.97%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.2K IQD 29.1M

79.42%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$75.0 IQD 113.3K

28.39%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.17 IQD 16.9K

221.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$22.29 IQD 33.7K

140.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$38.46 IQD 58.1K

86.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.03 IQD 13.6K

-12.62%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$157 IQD 237.9K

213.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,436 IQD 3.7M

386.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$20.33 IQD 30.7K

165.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$23.82 IQD 36.0K

132.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$43.76 IQD 66.1K

78.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$30.83 IQD 46.6K

158.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$166 IQD 251.4K

373.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$125 IQD 188.3K

537.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$420 IQD 634.1K

838.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$351 IQD 530.1K

304.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$643 IQD 971.0K

975.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$493 IQD 744.3K

148.50%

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 Az Zubayr: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Az Zubayr

$125 19.8% 84.3% $670

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Az Zubayr

$152 24.2% 56.8% $200

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Az Zubayr

$103 16.3% 51.6% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Az Zubayr

$108 17.2% 41.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Az Zubayr

$53 8.5% 55.5% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Az Zubayr

$57 9% 35.3% $31

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Az Zubayr

$32 5.1% 63.4% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $166 in Az Zubayr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $21.00 in Az Zubayr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $152 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇶 Az Zubayr

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

20:38 8:38 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

370,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Az Zubayr 13,310 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Az Zubayr

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 Az Zubayr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Az Zubayr differ by about 192% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $630 including rent). Az Zubayr 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 $945 in Az Zubayr 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 $166 in Az Zubayr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 131% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Az Zubayr – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $630 in Az Zubayr versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Az Zubayr but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Az Zubayr 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 Az Zubayr 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 Az Zubayr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 192% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.