Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gonbad-e Kavus

For one person, living is cheaper in Gonbad-e Kavus: $508 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 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 Gonbad-e Kavus
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Gonbad-e Kavus Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Gonbad-e Kavus

🇮🇷 Iran

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gonbad-e Kavus

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 Gonbad-e Kavus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $508 in Gonbad-e Kavus, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Gonbad-e Kavus $508

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $817 in Gonbad-e Kavus, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Gonbad-e Kavus $817

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,127 in Gonbad-e Kavus, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Gonbad-e Kavus $1,127

Nosara costs about 262% more than Gonbad-e Kavus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Gonbad-e Kavus is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.55 $2.55

384.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.73 $16.73

265.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.92 $3.92

91.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.65 $0.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.09 $1.09

304.59%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.55 $0.55

216.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.99 $0.99

32.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.65 $0.65

140.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.49 $0.49

516.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.01 $2.01

24.88%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.18 $1.18

202.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.47 $4.47

66.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.44 $3.44

205.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.45 $10.45

33.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.08 $1.08

117.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.55 $1.55

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.82 $0.82

485.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.56 $0.56

187.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.54 $0.54

603.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.50 $0.50

638.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.56 $0.56

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.28 $0.28

850.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.53 $2.53

104.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.17 $0.17

558.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$8.54 $8.54

750.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.41 $0.41

421.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.26 $0.26

503.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.61 $2.61

226.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.09 $0.09

1588.89%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$50.5K $50.5K

-57.25%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$42.1K $42.1K

-18.08%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$12.91 $12.91

645.86%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$1.58 $1.58

2171.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$3.27 $3.27

1538.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$18.23 $18.23

292.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.53 $13.53

158.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$1.84 $1.84

328.80%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$112 $112

341.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,393 $2,393

395.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$22.81 $22.81

136.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.18 $32.18

72.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$92.6 $92.6

-15.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$64.4 $64.4

23.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$259 $259

204.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$195 $195

307.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$809 $809

386.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$349 $349

306.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,163 $1,163

494.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$545 $545

124.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Gonbad-e Kavus: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$195 38.4% 75.4% $599

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$115 22.7% 67.3% $237

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$51 10.1% 75.7% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$18 3.5% 90.4% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$95 18.8% 20.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$22 4.3% 74.9% $65

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$11 2.2% 87.4% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $259 in Gonbad-e Kavus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $17.00 in Gonbad-e Kavus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $115 – making Gonbad-e Kavus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇷 Gonbad-e Kavus

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

07:10 7:10 AM

9 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

151,910

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Gonbad-e Kavus 13,360 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gonbad-e Kavus

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 Gonbad-e Kavus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 262%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $761 in Gonbad-e Kavus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gonbad-e Kavus, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $508 in Gonbad-e Kavus. That's a gap of about 262%.

Public transport costs about 751% less in Gonbad-e Kavus. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gonbad-e Kavus, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Gonbad-e Kavus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gonbad-e Kavus – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gonbad-e Kavus. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.