Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Muscat

For one person, living is cheaper in Muscat: $1,565 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
Learn more

Muscat Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,565

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Muscat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,565 in Muscat.

Nosara $1,837
Muscat $1,565

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,341 in Muscat.

Nosara $2,775
Muscat $2,341

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $3,116 in Muscat.

Nosara $3,712
Muscat $3,116

Living in Nosara is roughly 17% more expensive than in Muscat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Muscat 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.23 OMR 2.01

133.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$39.68 OMR 15.28

51.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.64 OMR 2.94

-1.31%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.97 OMR 1.91

-13.28%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.85 OMR 0.33

102.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.27 OMR 0.10

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$12.92 OMR 4.97

-74.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$13.23 OMR 5.09

-66.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.26 OMR 0.87

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.18 OMR 0.45

168.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.89 OMR 0.73

28.04%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.91 OMR 1.12

22.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.23 OMR 2.78

2.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.86 OMR 2.64

51.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.63 OMR 4.09

28.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.66 OMR 1.41

-36.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.95 OMR 0.75

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.40 OMR 0.92

97.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.26 OMR 0.49

31.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.22 OMR 0.47

204.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.27 OMR 0.49

181.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.86 OMR 0.72

-40.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.70 OMR 0.27

264.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.36 OMR 2.45

-22.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$15.54 OMR 5.98

28.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$6.00 OMR 2.31

-53.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$10.34 OMR 3.98

-65.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.29 OMR 0.50

-7.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$77.2 OMR 29.71

-6.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.30 OMR 1.27

-32.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.56 OMR 0.99

-39.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$7.82 OMR 3.01

13.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.63 OMR 0.24

149.21%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$25.7K OMR 9,907

-15.27%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$23.0K OMR 8,864

50.45%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$177 OMR 68.2

-47.21%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$30.49 OMR 11.74

15.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$71.6 OMR 27.57

-28.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$61.1 OMR 23.53

16.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$29.78 OMR 11.46

19.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.45 OMR 4.02

-24.98%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$282 OMR 109

73.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$10.4K OMR 4,004

14.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$57.6 OMR 22.17

-7.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$43.41 OMR 16.71

28.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$91.2 OMR 35.12

-13.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$85.9 OMR 33.06

-8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$690 OMR 265

13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$453 OMR 174

72.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,292 OMR 498

198.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$819 OMR 315

71.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,815 OMR 1,084

147.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,609 OMR 619

-25.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,651 OMR 636

-46.93%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Muscat: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Muscat

$453 29.3% 41.9% $327

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Muscat

$291 18.8% 16.7% $58

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Muscat

$220 14.2% 5% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Muscat

$279 18% 55% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Muscat

$125 8.1% 4% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Muscat

$82 5.3% 5.8% $5

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Muscat

$98 6.4% 13.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $690 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $40.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $291 per month, with Muscat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇴🇲 Muscat

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

10:23 10:23 AM

10 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,090,797 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, 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).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Muscat 14,610 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Muscat

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 Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Muscat differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,565 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Muscat. 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: $786 in Nosara versus $690 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Muscat – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,565 in Muscat – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,565 in Muscat versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muscat but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Muscat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Muscat 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 Muscat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.