Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Baghdadi

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdadi: $640 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Baghdadi
Learn more

Baghdadi Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Baghdadi

🇮🇶 Iraq

$640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Baghdadi

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $640 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Baghdadi $640

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $986 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Baghdadi $986

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,331 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Baghdadi $1,331

Nosara costs about 187% more than Baghdadi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Baghdadi is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.97 IQD 5,997

211.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$14.10 IQD 21.3K

333.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.80 IQD 10.3K

10.59%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.93 IQD 2,916

128.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.41 IQD 623

324.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.22 IQD 325

495.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.55 IQD 3,856

28.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.34 IQD 3,533

91.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.98 IQD 1,487

59.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.49 IQD 736

516.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.65 IQD 3,998

-5.28%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.83 IQD 2,763

95.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$3.85 IQD 5,812

92.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.12 IQD 4,714

237.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.38 IQD 12.7K

66.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.97 IQD 1,459

142.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.97 IQD 1,465

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.90 IQD 1,361

433.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.61 IQD 925

163.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.52 IQD 783

630.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.67 IQD 1,015

450.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.51 IQD 777

121.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.57 IQD 861

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.70 IQD 2,575

204.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

85.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.64 IQD 2,471

76.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.76 IQD 2,658

106.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.40 IQD 598

180.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$22.63 IQD 34.2K

220.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.84 IQD 2,777

16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.51 IQD 2,276

3.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.49 IQD 8,292

55.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.58 IQD 871

162.07%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$16.2K IQD 24.5M

33.11%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$14.7K IQD 22.3M

134.38%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$85.1 IQD 128.6K

13.16%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$13.61 IQD 20.6K

163.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

124.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.16 IQD 56.2K

92.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.23 IQD 14.0K

-14.52%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$148 IQD 224.3K

232.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,792 IQD 4.2M

324.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$20.82 IQD 31.5K

159.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$23.68 IQD 35.8K

133.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$47.50 IQD 71.8K

64.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$31.69 IQD 47.9K

151.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$173 IQD 261.7K

355.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$131 IQD 197.2K

508.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$378 IQD 571.6K

941.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$311 IQD 470.0K

356.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$722 IQD 1.1M

857.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$571 IQD 862.4K

114.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$501 IQD 757.4K

72.27%

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 Baghdadi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Baghdadi

$131 20.4% 83.6% $664

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Baghdadi

$147 23% 58.2% $205

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Baghdadi

$95 14.9% 55% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Baghdadi

$123 19.1% 34% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Baghdadi

$56 8.7% 53.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Baghdadi

$56 8.7% 36.3% $32

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Baghdadi

$34 5.3% 61.4% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $173 in Baghdadi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 72% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $14.00 in Baghdadi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $147 – making Baghdadi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇶 Baghdadi

🕒 Local time

09:38 9:38 AM

18:38 6:38 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 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 Baghdadi 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Baghdadi

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 Baghdadi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 187%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $960 in Baghdadi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $640 in Baghdadi. That's a gap of about 187%.

Public transport costs about 221% less in Baghdadi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Baghdadi, where all-in costs run around $640, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Baghdadi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Baghdadi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Baghdadi. 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.