Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Damascus

For one person, living is cheaper in Damascus: $871 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
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Damascus Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Damascus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $871 in Damascus.

Nosara $1,837
Damascus $871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,395 in Damascus.

Nosara $2,775
Damascus $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,920 in Damascus.

Nosara $3,712
Damascus $1,920

Living in Nosara is roughly 111% more expensive than in Damascus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Damascus is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$9.87 SYP 1,200

23.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$42.24 SYP 5,133

42.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.83 SYP 830

10.40%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.75 SYP 456

14.93%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.30 SYP 279

-25.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.89 SYP 108

51.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.98 SYP 241

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.88 SYP 472

15.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.08 SYP 132

45.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.42 SYP 50.9

654.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.52 SYP 184

59.21%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.63 SYP 198

119.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$3.93 SYP 478

89.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.84 SYP 709

78.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$13.84 SYP 1,682

-1.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.03 SYP 125

125.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.41 SYP 171

14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.10 SYP 134

330.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.06 SYP 129

56.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.74 SYP 90.0

402.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.79 SYP 96.4

351.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.41 SYP 49.31

168.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.63 SYP 76.0

304.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.81 SYP 341

76.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.98 SYP 727

234.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.10 SYP 134

153.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.85 SYP 346

23.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.23 SYP 28.03

417.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$9.93 SYP 1,206

625.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.03 SYP 125

117.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.53 SYP 186

1.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$7.59 SYP 923

16.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$3.61 SYP 439

-56.51%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

44.80%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

78.03%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$139 SYP 16.9K

-32.69%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$9.84 SYP 1,196

256.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$45.66 SYP 5,548

12.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$28.55 SYP 3,470

150.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$8.47 SYP 1,029

318.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.64 SYP 685

39.01%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$67.7 SYP 8,221

623.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$1,816 SYP 220.7K

554.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$28.35 SYP 3,445

88.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$39.84 SYP 4,841

39.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$59.5 SYP 7,224

33.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$57.2 SYP 6,955

37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$526 SYP 63.9K

49.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$186 SYP 22.6K

319.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$840 SYP 102.1K

359.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$469 SYP 56.9K

200.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,742 SYP 211.7K

300.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$607 SYP 73.8K

97.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$73.4 SYP 8,916

1094.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

14.25

-39.51%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Damascus: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Damascus

$186 21.4% 76.2% $594

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Damascus

$170 19.6% 51.5% $180

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Damascus

$175 20.2% 16.5% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Damascus

$194 22.4% 7.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Damascus

$83 9.6% 30.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Damascus

$40 4.6% 54.3% $47

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Damascus

$20 2.3% 77.5% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $526 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 1094% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $42.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $170 per month, with Damascus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇾 Damascus

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

04:53 4:53 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,414,913 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Damascus 12,210 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Damascus

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 Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Damascus differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $871 including rent). Damascus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1094% 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: $786 in Nosara versus $526 in Damascus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Damascus – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $871 in Damascus – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $871 in Damascus versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Damascus but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Damascus 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 Damascus 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 Damascus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.