Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ba'qubah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba'qubah: $524 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Ba'qubah
Learn more

Ba'qubah Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ba'qubah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$524

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ba'qubah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $524 in Ba'qubah.

Nosara $1,839
Ba'qubah $524

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $826 in Ba'qubah.

Nosara $2,828
Ba'qubah $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,128 in Ba'qubah.

Nosara $3,818
Ba'qubah $1,128

Living in Nosara is roughly 251% more expensive than in Ba'qubah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Ba'qubah is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.18 IQD 6,323

195.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

359.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.70 IQD 8,615

31.93%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.01 IQD 1,520

336.63%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.47 IQD 707

270.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.18 IQD 266

627.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.66 IQD 2,516

97.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.05 IQD 6,113

10.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.03 IQD 1,559

51.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.47 IQD 704

542.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.03 IQD 1,552

143.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.27 IQD 1,924

181.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$2.00 IQD 3,016

271.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.10 IQD 3,179

400.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.09 IQD 13.7K

53.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.84 IQD 1,266

179.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.93 IQD 1,402

73.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.85 IQD 1,290

464.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.47 IQD 711

242.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.51 IQD 776

645.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.60 IQD 908

515.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.43 IQD 648

162.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.15 IQD 220

1673.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.20 IQD 3,326

135.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.64 IQD 16.1K

86.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.45 IQD 2,197

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.80 IQD 2,722

101.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.43 IQD 644

160.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$18.36 IQD 27.7K

295.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.61 IQD 2,427

32.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.57 IQD 2,368

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.71 IQD 7,120

80.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.31 IQD 473

390.32%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

31.60%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.4K IQD 26.3M

98.41%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$50.1 IQD 75.6K

92.35%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

196.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$22.83 IQD 34.5K

134.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$16.53 IQD 25.0K

333.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.36 IQD 5,078

134.82%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$22.77 IQD 34.4K

2070.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$555 IQD 838.8K

2036.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$16.58 IQD 25.0K

225.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.76 IQD 25.3K

230.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.1 IQD 90.9K

29.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$22.70 IQD 34.3K

250.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$178 IQD 268.4K

343.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$130 IQD 197.1K

509.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$371 IQD 560.2K

962.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$308 IQD 465.5K

360.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$704 IQD 1.1M

882.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$579 IQD 874.1K

111.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$627 IQD 946.7K

37.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.53

240.71%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ba'qubah

$130 24.9% 83.6% $664

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ba'qubah

$122 23.3% 65.4% $230

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ba'qubah

$82 15.6% 61.5% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ba'qubah

$85 16.2% 54.2% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ba'qubah

$52 10% 56.5% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ba'qubah

$23 4.4% 73.4% $64

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ba'qubah

$30 5.6% 66.1% $58

Cost Breakdown

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

Nosara pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $13.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $122 per month, with Ba'qubah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇶 Ba'qubah

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

08:03 8:03 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

268,866

💱 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 Ba'qubah 12,860 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ba'qubah

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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 251% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $178 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 189% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $524 in Ba'qubah versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 251% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.