Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Islamabad: $613 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 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 Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Islamabad

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $613 in Islamabad, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Islamabad $613

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $951 in Islamabad, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Islamabad $951

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,289 in Islamabad, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Islamabad $1,289

Nosara costs about 200% more than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Islamabad is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.55 PKR 983

244.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$23.32 PKR 6,453

158.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.50 PKR 1,522

37.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 PKR 971

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,950

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.72 PKR 753

58.46%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.35 PKR 97.4

391.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.23 PKR 63.8

486.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.99 PKR 273

58.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.73 PKR 201

334.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.24 PKR 342

95.16%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.31 PKR 363

172.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$6.12 PKR 1,695

21.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.23 PKR 893

222.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$5.44 PKR 1,506

151.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.35 PKR 374

71.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.86 PKR 239

87.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.08 PKR 298

338.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.55 PKR 153

201.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.28 PKR 78.3

1228.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.36 PKR 98.6

891.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.30 PKR 83.5

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.42 PKR 115

507.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 549

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 PKR 347

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 PKR 715

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.32 PKR 642

113.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.20 PKR 54.5

495.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$21.45 PKR 5,936

235.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.23 PKR 339

82.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.75 PKR 209

106.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$1.64 PKR 454

440.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.39 PKR 385

12.95%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$53.8K PKR 14.9M

-59.49%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

44.37%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$103 PKR 28.5K

-9.15%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$5.76 PKR 1,594

509.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$16.49 PKR 4,564

212.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$29.77 PKR 8,240

139.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$8.62 PKR 2,386

311.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$4.45 PKR 1,233

76.18%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

557.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$5,023 PKR 1.4M

136.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$24.55 PKR 6,793

118.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$34.19 PKR 9,461

63.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$96.0 PKR 26.6K

-17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$40.93 PKR 11.3K

92.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$272 PKR 75.2K

189.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$137 PKR 38.0K

467.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$572 PKR 158.4K

574.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$275 PKR 76.0K

412.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,677 PKR 464.1K

315.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$820 PKR 226.9K

46.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$379 PKR 104.8K

131.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.08

-34.10%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Islamabad

$137 22.9% 82.4% $642

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Islamabad

$105 17.5% 70% $245

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 61.9% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Islamabad

$125 20.8% 30.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Islamabad

$88 14.6% 26.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Islamabad

$39 6.4% 55.6% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 68.6% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $272 in Islamabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 131% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $105 – making Islamabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

08:29 8:29 AM

11 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,009,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, 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).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Islamabad 14,660 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Islamabad

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 Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 200%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $919 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 233% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Islamabad, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Islamabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Islamabad – 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 Islamabad. 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.