Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Nawabshah

For one person, living is cheaper in Nawabshah: $478 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Nawabshah
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$478
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Nawabshah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $478 in Nawabshah.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Nawabshah $478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $716 in Nawabshah.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Nawabshah $716

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $954 in Nawabshah.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Nawabshah $954

Living in Nosara is roughly 284% more expensive than in Nawabshah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Nawabshah is 65% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Nawabshah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$2.16 PKR 596
471.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$13.32 PKR 3,687
360.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$5.30 PKR 1,467
46.42%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.13 PKR 588
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$7.33 PKR 2,029
-
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$2.21 PKR 612
100.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$0.41 PKR 112
336.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$0.26 PKR 71.5
396.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Nawabshah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$0.86 PKR 239
80.23%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$0.53 PKR 145
481.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$1.20 PKR 332
110.83%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$1.30 PKR 359
165.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$5.64 PKR 1,560
29.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$3.15 PKR 871
225.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$6.45 PKR 1,784
118.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$1.23 PKR 341
86.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$0.55 PKR 151
198.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$1.03 PKR 285
365.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$0.53 PKR 146
209.43%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$0.31 PKR 85.2
1141.94%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$0.34 PKR 94.3
1002.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$0.44 PKR 122
147.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$0.40 PKR 111
547.50%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.25 PKR 346
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.32 PKR 365
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.34 PKR 648
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$1.78 PKR 493
187.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,255
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,580
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Nawabshah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$0.17 PKR 46.16
617.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
$9.71 PKR 2,688
661.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$0.93 PKR 258
133.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$0.73 PKR 203
113.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$2.19 PKR 607
295.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$1.39 PKR 384
11.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$17.9K PKR 5.0M
92.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$26.6K PKR 7.4M
45.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Nawabshah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$112 PKR 31.0K
-15.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$5.90 PKR 1,632
512.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$13.21 PKR 3,656
301.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Nawabshah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$14.93 PKR 4,132
394.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
$7.97 PKR 2,206
347.05%
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$4.41 PKR 1,219
79.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Nawabshah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$51.2 PKR 14.2K
858.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$1,936 PKR 535.8K
514.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Nawabshah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$18.14 PKR 5,021
202.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$22.79 PKR 6,307
145.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$68.0 PKR 18.8K
18.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$40.60 PKR 11.2K
91.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Nawabshah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$125 PKR 34.5K
543.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$78.2 PKR 21.7K
909.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$257 PKR 71.1K
1458.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$149 PKR 41.3K
844.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$932 PKR 258.1K
657.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$491 PKR 135.8K
151.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Nawabshah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
$128 PKR 35.3K
594.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
13.21
-34.75%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nawabshah: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Nawabshah
$78 90.1% $711
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Nawabshah
$100 71.3% $249
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Nawabshah
$62 70.7% $150
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Nawabshah
$131 28.7% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Nawabshah
$67 44.4% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Nawabshah
$24 73.5% $66
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Nawabshah
$15 83.1% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $125 in Nawabshah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 595% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $13.00 in Nawabshah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $100 per month, with Nawabshah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇵🇰 Nawabshah
🕒 Local time
17:47 5:47 PM
04:47 4:47 AM
11 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
263,102
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Nawabshah 15,110 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Nawabshah

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 Nawabshah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Nawabshah?
Nawabshah wins on cost – living expenses run 284% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nawabshah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Nosara or in Nawabshah?
Average pay runs 595% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Nosara compared to Nawabshah?
Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $125 in Nawabshah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Nosara or in Nawabshah?
Supermarket bills run roughly 249% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Nosara and in Nawabshah?
Dining out is cheaper in Nawabshah – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Nosara or in Nawabshah?
At $478 in Nawabshah versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nawabshah but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Nawabshah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Nawabshah?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nawabshah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $478 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nawabshah hard to pass up.
How safe is Nosara compared to Nawabshah?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Nawabshah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nawabshah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 284% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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