Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bushehr

For one person, living is cheaper in Bushehr: $518 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Nosara, Costa Rica
Bushehr, Iran
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Bushehr
🇮🇷 Iran
$518
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bushehr

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,846 in Nosara versus $518 in Bushehr.

  • Nosara $1,846
  • Bushehr $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Nosara versus $805 in Bushehr.

  • Nosara $2,833
  • Bushehr $805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,820 in Nosara versus $1,091 in Bushehr.

  • Nosara $3,820
  • Bushehr $1,091

Living in Nosara is roughly 256% more expensive than in Bushehr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Bushehr is 62% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Bushehr
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.36 ₡5,578
$4.53 $4.53
172.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.8 ₡27.4K
$12.80 $12.80
374.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 ₡3,558
$4.10 $4.10
92.20%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.02 $1.02
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.73 $1.73
-
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₡1,987
$1.22 $1.22
260.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡776
$0.62 $0.62
177.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₡603
$1.03 $1.03
30.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.34 ₡1,506
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 ₡2,049
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Bushehr
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ₡739
$0.51 $0.51
221.57%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 ₡1,427
$0.29 $0.29
989.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 ₡1,080
$1.81 $1.81
32.04%
Eggs
$3.47 ₡1,564
$0.99 $0.99
250.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.13 ₡3,219
$1.46 $1.46
388.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.32 ₡4,657
$2.94 $2.94
251.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,305
$9.89 $9.89
41.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,032
$0.57 $0.57
301.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ₡732
$1.46 $1.46
10.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.81 ₡2,171
$0.94 $0.94
411.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 ₡758
$0.52 $0.52
223.08%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ₡1,766
$0.48 $0.48
714.58%
Onion (1kg)
$3.63 ₡1,641
$0.29 $0.29
1151.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡510
$0.51 $0.51
121.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 ₡1,188
$0.20 $0.20
1215.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.58 $0.58
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.31 $0.31
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.53 $1.53
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.02 ₡2,268
$3.08 $3.08
62.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.71 ₡8,897
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 ₡1,315
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 ₡1,598
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Bushehr
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 ₡545
$0.13 $0.13
830.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 ₡33.3K
$9.67 $9.67
662.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.15 ₡970
$0.38 $0.38
465.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡738
$0.31 $0.31
425.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.77 ₡3,960
$3.53 $3.53
148.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡701
$0.09 $0.09
1622.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K ₡15.3M
$60.0K $60.0K
-43.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K ₡17.4M
$48.4K $48.4K
-20.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Bushehr
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.2 ₡43.0K
$20.18 $20.18
371.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.29 ₡16.4K
$1.59 $1.59
2182.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 ₡23.5K
$3.97 $3.97
1210.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Bushehr
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.6 ₡30.5K
$19.16 $19.16
252.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.55 ₡16.0K
$13.66 $13.66
160.25%
Cinema Ticket
$7.54 ₡3,405
$1.94 $1.94
288.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Bushehr
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$496 ₡224.1K
$50.9 $50.9
875.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K ₡5.3M
$608 $608
1837.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Bushehr
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.1 ₡24.9K
$22.67 $22.67
143.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 ₡25.3K
$18.74 $18.74
199.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.8 ₡35.1K
$96.2 $96.2
-19.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.1 ₡35.7K
$55.5 $55.5
42.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Bushehr
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$817 ₡369.0K
$295 $295
177.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$806 ₡363.8K
$208 $208
287.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,988 ₡1.8M
$327 $327
1119.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₡645.2K
$353 $353
305.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,068 ₡3.2M
$1,143 $1,143
518.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,197 ₡540.3K
$531 $531
125.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Bushehr
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$888 ₡400.9K
$282 $282
214.64%
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 24, 2026

Last update for Bushehr: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$806
Bushehr
$208 74.2% $598
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$351
Bushehr
$92 73.7% $259
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Bushehr
$70 67.3% $144
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Bushehr
$26 86% $158
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Bushehr
$87 28% $34
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Bushehr
$12 86.3% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$83
Bushehr
$23 72.1% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Nosara and $295 in Bushehr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays about 3.1 times 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 in Nosara vs $13 in Bushehr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $92 per month, with Bushehr cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇮🇷 Bushehr
🕒 Local time
18:10 6:10 PM
03:40 3:40 AM
9 h 30 min ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
223,504
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Bushehr 13,650 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Bushehr

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 Bushehr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Bushehr?
Bushehr wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bushehr the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Nosara or in Bushehr?
Average pay in Nosara is about 3.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Nosara compared to Bushehr?
Rent for a central apartment: $817 in Nosara versus $295 in Bushehr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Nosara compared to Bushehr?
A monthly transit pass in Bushehr runs roughly 87% less than in Nosara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Nosara and in Bushehr?
Childcare runs $496 in Nosara versus $51 in Bushehr. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $800/month in Nosara or in Bushehr?
At $518 in Bushehr versus $1,846 in Nosara, a $800 budget is realistic in Bushehr but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bushehr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Nosara or Bushehr?
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.
How safe is Nosara compared to Bushehr?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Bushehr are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bushehr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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