Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mecca

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mecca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $936 in Mecca.

Nosara $1,839
Mecca $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,453 in Mecca.

Nosara $2,828
Mecca $1,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,970 in Mecca.

Nosara $3,818
Mecca $1,970

Living in Nosara is roughly 96% more expensive than in Mecca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Mecca is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.57 SAR 17.14

170.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$26.89 SAR 101

127.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.07 SAR 26.52

6.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.61 SAR 9.79

68.97%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.67 SAR 2.51

159.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.23 SAR 0.86

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

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-10.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.03 SAR 3.85

193.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.11 SAR 7.91

18.96%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.52 SAR 9.46

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.92 SAR 22.20

25.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.08 SAR 30.33

30.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.95 SAR 48.59

7.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.09 SAR 7.84

12.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.58 SAR 5.94

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.61 SAR 6.05

198.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.47 SAR 5.52

9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.12 SAR 4.21

239.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.30 SAR 4.87

183.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.05 SAR 3.94

7.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.50 SAR 1.86

432.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.81 SAR 25.56

-23.94%

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

$1.34 SAR 5.03

-16.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.43 SAR 9.11

-11.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-10.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.15 SAR 49.33

-35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.63 SAR 2.38

141.27%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

-54.49%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

63.39%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$66.9 SAR 251

44.02%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$35.35 SAR 133

1.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$63.2 SAR 237

-15.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$80.7 SAR 303

-11.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$42.52 SAR 160

-17.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.96 SAR 44.88

-34.03%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$775 SAR 2,907

-36.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

-26.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$13.57 SAR 50.9

297.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$56.9 SAR 214

-2.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$39.67 SAR 149

96.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$53.3 SAR 200

49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$533 SAR 2,001

47.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$290 SAR 1,088

173.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$830 SAR 3,114

374.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$523 SAR 1,963

171.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

8.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,298 SAR 8,624

-46.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,083 SAR 4,063

-20.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.25

64.19%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Mecca

$290 31% 63.5% $504

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Mecca

$193 20.6% 45.2% $159

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Mecca

$93 9.9% 56.3% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Mecca

$165 17.7% 11% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mecca

$74 7.9% 38.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mecca

$105 11.2% 19.8% $17

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Mecca

$17 * 1.8% 81% $71

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 $533 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mecca pays 25% 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 $27.00 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $193 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Mecca

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,675,368

💱 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 Mecca 13,120 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mecca

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 Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Mecca. 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 $533 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% 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 $936 in Mecca – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $936 in Mecca versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mecca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mecca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Mecca 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 Mecca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.