Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Behbahan

For one person, living is cheaper in Behbahan: $527 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Behbahan
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Behbahan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Behbahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Behbahan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $527 in Behbahan.

Nosara $1,835
Behbahan $527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $822 in Behbahan.

Nosara $2,825
Behbahan $822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,117 in Behbahan.

Nosara $3,814
Behbahan $1,117

Living in Nosara is roughly 248% more expensive than in Behbahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Behbahan is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$4.48 $4.48

175.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$12.87 $12.87

376.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$4.07 $4.07

90.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.17 $1.17

279.49%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.62 $0.62

188.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.02 $1.02

26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.71 $0.71

118.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$0.41 $0.41

651.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.98 $1.98

27.78%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.22 $1.22

182.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$2.21 $2.21

231.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$2.24 $2.24

357.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.83 $9.83

43.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.10 $1.10

108.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.55 $1.55

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$0.88 $0.88

444.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$0.60 $0.60

173.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.59 $0.59

552.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$0.56 $0.56

569.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.47 $0.47

131.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.18 $0.18

1338.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.86 $0.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 $0.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.93 $2.93

74.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.17 $0.17

617.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$9.49 $9.49

678.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.38 $0.38

471.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.20 $0.20

680.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$3.58 $3.58

142.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.09 $0.09

1622.22%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$65.3K $65.3K

-47.09%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$53.0K $53.0K

-26.89%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$23.68 $23.68

300.42%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$2.06 $2.06

1654.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$3.71 $3.71

1330.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$18.50 $18.50

298.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$13.37 $13.37

166.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$1.97 $1.97

301.52%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$105 $105

365.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,378 $2,378

399.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$22.94 $22.94

138.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$18.29 $18.29

205.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$96.8 $96.8

-16.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$53.9 $53.9

44.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$290 $290

176.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$209 $209

278.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$805 $805

397.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$362 $362

289.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,163 $1,163

507.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$540 $540

128.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

24.3

-64.53%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Behbahan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Behbahan

$209 39.6% 73.6% $581

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Behbahan

$100 18.9% 71.5% $250

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Behbahan

$69 13% 67.7% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Behbahan

$29 5.6% 84% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Behbahan

$86 16.4% 28.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Behbahan

$22 4.3% 75% $67

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Behbahan

$12 2.2% 87% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $290 in Behbahan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $13.00 in Behbahan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $100 per month, with Behbahan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇷 Behbahan

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

21:16 9:16 PM

9 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

122,604

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Behbahan 13,500 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Behbahan

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 Behbahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Behbahan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 248% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $790 in Behbahan 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: $801 in Nosara versus $290 in Behbahan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $527 in Behbahan – a 248% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Behbahan runs roughly 679% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $527 in Behbahan versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Behbahan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Behbahan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Behbahan 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 Behbahan 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 Behbahan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 248% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.