Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Madinat Hamad

For one person, living is cheaper in Madinat Hamad: $1,199 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Madinat Hamad
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Madinat Hamad Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Madinat Hamad

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,199 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Madinat Hamad $1,199

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,913 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Madinat Hamad $1,913

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,626 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Madinat Hamad $2,626

Nosara costs about 53% more than Madinat Hamad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Madinat Hamad is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.61 BHD 0.99

373.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$53.1 BHD 20.02

15.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.30 BHD 2.76

3.01%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.60 BHD 0.98

69.62%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.90 BHD 0.34

93.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.30 BHD 0.11

336.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.48 BHD 2.44

-49.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$9.81 BHD 3.70

-54.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.40 BHD 0.53

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.04 BHD 0.39

190.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.38 BHD 0.90

5.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.06 BHD 0.78

73.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.59 BHD 3.24

-13.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.38 BHD 2.41

64.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.70 BHD 3.28

60.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.16 BHD 0.82

8.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.55 BHD 0.58

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.93 BHD 0.73

148.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.33 BHD 0.50

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.02 BHD 0.38

272.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.09 BHD 0.41

238.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.56 BHD 0.59

-27.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.55 BHD 0.21

383.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.35 BHD 2.02

-3.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$18.44 BHD 6.96

7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.67 BHD 1.39

-20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.58 BHD 0.97

40.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.63 BHD 0.24

77.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$34.67 BHD 13.09

109.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.36 BHD 2.02

-60.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.60 BHD 0.98

-39.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$15.62 BHD 5.90

-45.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.39 BHD 0.15

289.74%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.6K BHD 14.2K

-42.57%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.7K BHD 7,822

66.54%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$155 BHD 58.4

-37.78%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.29 BHD 9.17

47.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$18.20 BHD 6.87

194.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$119 BHD 45.06

-40.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$52.4 BHD 19.76

-33.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.16 BHD 1.95

52.91%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$489 BHD 185

1.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.0K BHD 4,170

7.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$50.1 BHD 18.90

7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$58.5 BHD 22.09

-5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$88.8 BHD 33.53

-12.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$88.9 BHD 33.54

-10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$398 BHD 150

97.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$318 BHD 120

149.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$805 BHD 304

389.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$665 BHD 251

113.28%

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

$669 BHD 252

29.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.21

38.81%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Madinat Hamad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Madinat Hamad

$318 26.5% 60% $476

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Madinat Hamad

$239 19.9% 32.2% $113

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Madinat Hamad

$131 10.9% 38.3% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Madinat Hamad

$197 16.5% 6.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Madinat Hamad

$129 10.8% 7.3% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Madinat Hamad

$130 10.8% 48.5% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Madinat Hamad

$56 4.6% 36.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $398 in Madinat Hamad. 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 29% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $53.0 in Madinat Hamad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $239 – making Madinat Hamad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇭 Madinat Hamad

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

15:21 3:21 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

133,350

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, 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).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Madinat Hamad 13,800 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Madinat Hamad

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 Madinat Hamad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,199 in Madinat Hamad – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,798 in Madinat Hamad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 110% less in Madinat Hamad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $489 in Madinat Hamad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Madinat Hamad, where all-in costs run around $1,199, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Madinat Hamad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,199 in Madinat Hamad to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Madinat Hamad. 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.