Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ha'il

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha'il: $1,040 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Ha'il
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,040
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ha'il

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,040 in Ha'il.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Ha'il $1,040

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,589 in Ha'il.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Ha'il $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,139 in Ha'il.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Ha'il $2,139

Living in Nosara is roughly 77% more expensive than in Ha'il, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Ha'il is 23% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Ha'il
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$5.47 SAR 20.52
125.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$37.36 SAR 140
63.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$5.88 SAR 22.05
27.89%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.18 SAR 4.43
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.33 SAR 8.73
-
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$2.60 SAR 9.76
69.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$0.61 SAR 2.29
185.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.24 SAR 0.90
445.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Ha'il
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.72 SAR 6.47
-9.30%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$0.84 SAR 3.17
259.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.83 SAR 6.87
37.16%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$1.88 SAR 7.05
89.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$6.81 SAR 25.56
9.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$8.52 SAR 31.96
23.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$8.55 SAR 32.10
63.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$1.57 SAR 5.88
49.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.58 SAR 5.91
1.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$1.31 SAR 4.90
266.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$2.03 SAR 7.61
-20.69%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.32 SAR 4.95
187.88%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.62 SAR 6.06
127.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.23 SAR 4.60
-8.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.49 SAR 1.83
442.86%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$3.02 SAR 11.35
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.75 SAR 6.56
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.04 SAR 7.65
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$6.73 SAR 25.25
-23.03%
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
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Ha'il
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$1.05 SAR 3.93
6.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$36.18 SAR 136
100.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$2.68 SAR 10.07
-20.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.88 SAR 7.06
-16.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$13.58 SAR 50.9
-37.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$0.61 SAR 2.27
149.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$44.7K SAR 167.8K
-51.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$21.6K SAR 81.0K
59.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Ha'il
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$52.7 SAR 198
82.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$21.32 SAR 80.0
68.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$47.59 SAR 179
12.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Ha'il
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$67.4 SAR 253
6.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$26.99 SAR 101
29.34%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$14.85 SAR 55.7
-46.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Ha'il
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$414 SAR 1,554
19.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$7,887 SAR 29.6K
50.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Ha'il
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$43.06 SAR 162
25.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$54.6 SAR 205
1.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$96.6 SAR 363
-19.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$87.9 SAR 330
-9.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Ha'il
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$245 SAR 918
222.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$366 SAR 1,373
117.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$362 SAR 1,359
987.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$566 SAR 2,123
150.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$2,369 SAR 8,890
191.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$1,359 SAR 5,099
-9.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Ha'il
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$1,087 SAR 4,080
-20.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
5.54
55.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Ha'il
$366 53.9% $428
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Ha'il
$180 49% $172
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Ha'il
$96 54.7% $116
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Ha'il
$122 34.6% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Ha'il
$127 5.7% $6.9
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Ha'il
$97 11.1% $9.7
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Ha'il
$52 39.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $245 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $37.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $180 per month, with Ha'il cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇸🇦 Ha'il
🕒 Local time
12:38 12:38 PM
21:38 9:38 PM
9 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
310,897
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Ha'il 12,980 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Ha'il

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 Ha'il: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Ha'il?
Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Nosara or in Ha'il?
On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Ha'il. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Nosara compared to Ha'il?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $245 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Nosara and in Ha'il?
Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $414 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Nosara or in Ha'il?
Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Nosara or in Ha'il?
At $1,040 in Ha'il versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Ha'il?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,040 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il hard to pass up.
How safe is Nosara compared to Ha'il?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Ha'il are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Nosara vs other spots: cost of living compared

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