Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Khamis Mushayt

For one person, living is cheaper in Khamis Mushayt: $1,207 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Khamis Mushayt
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Khamis Mushayt Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Khamis Mushayt

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Khamis Mushayt

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,207 in Khamis Mushayt.

Nosara $1,839
Khamis Mushayt $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,692 in Khamis Mushayt.

Nosara $2,828
Khamis Mushayt $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,176 in Khamis Mushayt.

Nosara $3,818
Khamis Mushayt $2,176

Living in Nosara is roughly 52% more expensive than in Khamis Mushayt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Khamis Mushayt is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.52 SAR 16.97

173.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$31.95 SAR 120

91.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.03 SAR 26.36

6.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SAR 9.69

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.91 SAR 10.92

51.55%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.69 SAR 2.59

152.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.23 SAR 0.87

469.57%

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

$1.62 SAR 6.06

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.38 SAR 1.43

694.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.24 SAR 12.15

-22.53%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.41 SAR 9.03

48.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.19 SAR 23.24

20.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.59 SAR 20.98

88.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.54 SAR 50.8

3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.14 SAR 8.02

9.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.75 SAR 6.58

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.59 SAR 5.97

201.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.56 SAR 5.86

3.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.17 SAR 4.41

224.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.34 SAR 5.01

175.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.18 SAR 4.44

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.53 SAR 2.00

401.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.81 SAR 10.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.84 SAR 25.66

-24.27%

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

$1.08 SAR 4.06

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.06 SAR 158

72.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.60 SAR 9.75

-17.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$14.65 SAR 55.0

-41.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.64 SAR 2.41

137.50%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$41.8K SAR 156.9K

-48.31%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

54.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$105 SAR 395

-8.63%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.67 SAR 123

9.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$72.3 SAR 271

-25.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$81.6 SAR 306

-12.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.17 SAR 49.43

-40.09%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$475 SAR 1,782

4.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,865 SAR 25.8K

72.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$45.16 SAR 169

19.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$50.4 SAR 189

9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$105 SAR 396

-26.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$83.1 SAR 312

-4.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$530 SAR 1,990

48.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$425 SAR 1,594

86.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$849 SAR 3,187

363.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$517 SAR 1,941

174.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,044 SAR 7,669

238.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,575 SAR 5,911

-22.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,606 SAR 6,027

-46.23%

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 Khamis Mushayt: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Khamis Mushayt

$425 35.2% 46.5% $369

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Khamis Mushayt

$182 15.1% 48.2% $170

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Khamis Mushayt

$96 7.9% 54.8% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Khamis Mushayt

$210 17.4% 13.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Khamis Mushayt

$128 10.6% 6.4% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Khamis Mushayt

$108 8.9% 23.5% $21

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Khamis Mushayt

$58 4.8% 33.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $530 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Khamis Mushayt pays 86% 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 $32.00 in Khamis Mushayt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $182 per month, with Khamis Mushayt cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Khamis Mushayt

🕒 Local time

19:30 7:30 PM

04:30 4:30 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

430,828

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, 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).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Khamis Mushayt 13,540 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Khamis Mushayt

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 Khamis Mushayt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khamis Mushayt wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Khamis Mushayt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Khamis Mushayt. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $530 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 73% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $475 in Khamis Mushayt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,207 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khamis Mushayt but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Khamis Mushayt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Khamis Mushayt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Khamis Mushayt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.