Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Duhok

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $602 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
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Duhok Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Duhok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $602 in Duhok.

Nosara $1,839
Duhok $602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $968 in Duhok.

Nosara $2,828
Duhok $968

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,334 in Duhok.

Nosara $3,818
Duhok $1,334

Living in Nosara is roughly 205% more expensive than in Duhok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Duhok is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.35 IQD 5,069

268.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.55 IQD 25.0K

269.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

6.82%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.32 IQD 3,511

90.09%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.34 IQD 517

411.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.15 IQD 229

773.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.61 IQD 2,430

103.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.94 IQD 2,930

130.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.11 IQD 1,680

40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.67 IQD 1,017

350.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.50 IQD 2,262

67.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.58 IQD 2,385

125.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.03 IQD 7,594

47.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.95 IQD 4,460

256.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

28.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.96 IQD 1,453

144.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.00 IQD 1,506

61.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.73 IQD 1,109

557.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.68 IQD 1,028

136.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.59 IQD 894

544.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.63 IQD 948

485.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.61 IQD 926

85.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.48 IQD 719

454.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.74 IQD 2,630

197.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.58 IQD 16.0K

87.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.46 IQD 2,200

98.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.82 IQD 2,749

99.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.32 IQD 486

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$15.69 IQD 23.7K

362.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.69 IQD 2,555

26.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.28 IQD 1,930

22.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.62 IQD 8,491

51.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.59 IQD 884

157.63%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

30.96%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

103.19%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$85.5 IQD 129.1K

12.66%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.81 IQD 13.3K

307.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.12 IQD 36.4K

122.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$49.83 IQD 75.3K

43.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$26.66 IQD 40.3K

30.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.55 IQD 11.4K

4.50%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$108 IQD 163.9K

355.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,793 IQD 4.2M

324.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$10.25 IQD 15.5K

426.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.62 IQD 29.6K

182.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$29.73 IQD 44.9K

162.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$19.93 IQD 30.1K

299.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$161 IQD 243.5K

389.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$115 IQD 174.0K

589.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$329 IQD 497.2K

1097.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$318 IQD 480.4K

346.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$430 IQD 649.7K

1507.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$362 IQD 547.5K

237.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$421 IQD 635.5K

105.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.53

240.71%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Duhok: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Duhok

$115 19.1% 85.5% $679

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Duhok

$153 25.4% 56.6% $199

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Duhok

$90 14.9% 57.6% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Duhok

$118 19.7% 36.3% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Duhok

$36 6% 70.2% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Duhok

$65 10.8% 25.7% $22

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Duhok

$25 4.2% 71.2% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $161 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 105% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $17.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $153 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇶 Duhok

🕒 Local time

12:38 12:38 PM

21:38 9:38 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

340,900

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Duhok 12,550 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Duhok

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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Duhok differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $602 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 105% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $161 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $108 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 130% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $602 in Duhok versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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 Duhok 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.