Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dammam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dammam: $1,226 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Dammam
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Dammam Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dammam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,846 in Nosara versus $1,226 in Dammam.

Nosara $1,846
Dammam $1,226

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Nosara versus $1,857 in Dammam.

Nosara $2,833
Dammam $1,857

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,820 in Nosara versus $2,488 in Dammam.

Nosara $3,820
Dammam $2,488

Living in Nosara is roughly 51% more expensive than in Dammam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Dammam is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,578

$6.49 SAR 24.35

90.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$39.23 SAR 147

54.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,558

$7.78 SAR 29.20

1.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,987

$3.71 SAR 13.94

18.60%

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

$1.72 ₡776

$0.81 SAR 3.02

112.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$0.28 SAR 1.04

378.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,506

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,049

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,427

$1.04 SAR 3.91

203.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$2.32 SAR 8.71

3.02%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$2.54 SAR 9.52

36.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,219

$6.79 SAR 25.47

5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,657

$7.34 SAR 27.55

40.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,305

$12.93 SAR 48.50

8.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,032

$2.36 SAR 8.85

-2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡732

$1.60 SAR 6.01

1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,171

$1.62 SAR 6.10

196.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

$1.63 SAR 6.11

3.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,766

$1.25 SAR 4.67

212.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,641

$1.32 SAR 4.94

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡510

$1.35 SAR 5.07

-16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$0.59 SAR 2.22

345.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.84 SAR 10.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,268

$7.26 SAR 27.22

-30.85%

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

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

$1.04 SAR 3.90

16.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

$40.52 SAR 152

82.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡970

$2.62 SAR 9.83

-17.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-13.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,960

$13.55 SAR 50.8

-35.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.65 SAR 2.42

138.46%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$27.1K SAR 101.8K

24.86%

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

$23.4K SAR 87.7K

64.54%

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$105 SAR 395

-9.58%

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

$33.70 SAR 126

7.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

$72.2 SAR 271

-27.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

$94.5 SAR 354

-28.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

$36.96 SAR 139

-3.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,405

$14.61 SAR 54.8

-48.39%

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

$496 ₡224.1K

$346 SAR 1,299

43.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

$7,665 SAR 28.8K

53.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

$56.1 SAR 210

-1.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

$62.8 SAR 236

-10.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

$84.0 SAR 315

-7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

$81.3 SAR 305

-2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡369.0K

$440 SAR 1,652

85.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.8K

$384 SAR 1,441

109.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

$889 SAR 3,336

348.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡645.2K

$627 SAR 2,351

128.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

$1,788 SAR 6,707

295.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.3K

$1,073 SAR 4,024

11.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.42

95.02%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Dammam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Dammam

$384 31.4% 52.3% $422

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Dammam

$198 16.1% 43.7% $153

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Dammam

$124 10.1% 41.8% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Dammam

$211 17.2% 15.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Dammam

$128 10.4% 6% $7.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Dammam

$57 4.6% 36.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Dammam

$124 10.1% 49.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Nosara and $440 in Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $39 in Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $198 per month, with Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Dammam

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

04:53 4:53 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

903,312

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Dammam 13,750 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dammam

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 Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dammam is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,769 in Nosara and $1,839 in Dammam 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: $817 in Nosara versus $440 in Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,846 per month in Nosara versus $1,226 in Dammam – Dammam is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dammam runs roughly 45% less than in Nosara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,226 in Dammam versus $1,846 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dammam 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 Dammam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.