Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Janub-as-surrah

For one person, living is cheaper in Janub-as-surrah: $1,266 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Janub-as-surrah
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Janub-as-surrah Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Janub-as-surrah

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Janub-as-surrah

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 Janub-as-surrah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,266 in Janub-as-surrah.

Nosara $1,839
Janub-as-surrah $1,266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,141 in Janub-as-surrah.

Nosara $2,828
Janub-as-surrah $2,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,015 in Janub-as-surrah.

Nosara $3,818
Janub-as-surrah $3,015

Living in Nosara is roughly 45% more expensive than in Janub-as-surrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Janub-as-surrah is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.80 KWD 2.71

40.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$66.2 KWD 20.39

-7.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.28 KWD 2.55

-9.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 KWD 0.99

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 KWD 0.94

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.56 KWD 1.71

-20.68%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.52 KWD 0.16

234.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.30 KWD 0.09

336.67%

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

$1.29 KWD 0.40

20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.90 KWD 0.28

235.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.82 KWD 0.56

37.91%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.88 KWD 0.58

89.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.86 KWD 1.50

52.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.22 KWD 1.92

69.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.68 KWD 2.98

44.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.24 KWD 0.69

4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.90 KWD 0.59

-15.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.35 KWD 0.42

255.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.71 KWD 0.53

-5.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.34 KWD 0.41

183.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.86 KWD 0.27

329.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.42 KWD 0.44

-20.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.54 KWD 0.17

392.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.08 KWD 0.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 KWD 0.28

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 KWD 0.40

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.39 KWD 0.74

116.74%

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

$0.80 KWD 0.25

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.17 KWD 0.98

-32.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.34 KWD 1.03

-52.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$15.85 KWD 4.88

-46.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.34 KWD 0.10

347.06%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.3K KWD 6,249

6.55%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.0K KWD 6,469

64.39%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$71.9 KWD 22.17

33.85%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$21.29 KWD 6.56

68.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$32.26 KWD 9.94

66.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$92.8 KWD 28.58

-22.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.56 KWD 3.56

-31.75%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$306 KWD 94.2

61.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,692 KWD 2,062

77.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$42.91 KWD 13.22

25.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$41.90 KWD 12.91

32.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$90.2 KWD 27.79

-13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$81.8 KWD 25.21

-2.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$760 KWD 234

3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$555 KWD 171

43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,534 KWD 473

156.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,258 KWD 388

12.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.53

32.01%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Janub-as-surrah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Janub-as-surrah

$555 43.9% 30.1% $239

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Janub-as-surrah

$166 13.1% 52.9% $186

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Janub-as-surrah

$165 13% 22% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Janub-as-surrah

$125 9.9% 32.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Janub-as-surrah

$116 9.1% 3.8% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Janub-as-surrah

$116 9.2% 32.6% $29

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Janub-as-surrah

$23 * 1.8% 73.5% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $760 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $66.0 in Janub-as-surrah. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $166, with Janub-as-surrah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇼 Janub-as-surrah

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

15:41 3:41 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

18,496

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Janub-as-surrah 13,400 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Janub-as-surrah

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 Janub-as-surrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Janub-as-surrah wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Janub-as-surrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,900 in Janub-as-surrah 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: $788 in Nosara versus $760 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,266 in Janub-as-surrah – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Janub-as-surrah but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Janub-as-surrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Janub-as-surrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Janub-as-surrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Janub-as-surrah 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 Janub-as-surrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.