Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Qairawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Qairawan: $1,282 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Qairawan
Learn more

Qairawan Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Qairawan

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,282

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Qairawan

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,282 in Qairawan, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Qairawan $1,282

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,101 in Qairawan, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Qairawan $2,101

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,920 in Qairawan, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Qairawan $2,920

Nosara costs about 43% more than Qairawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Qairawan is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.23 KWD 2.54

50.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$56.6 KWD 17.45

8.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.21 KWD 2.22

4.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 KWD 0.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 KWD 1.06

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.46 KWD 1.68

-19.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.53 KWD 0.16

228.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.31 KWD 0.10

322.58%

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

$1.25 KWD 0.38

24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.86 KWD 0.27

251.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.09 KWD 0.65

20.10%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.83 KWD 0.56

95.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.45 KWD 1.37

66.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.07 KWD 1.87

73.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.29 KWD 3.17

35.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.20 KWD 0.68

6.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.03 KWD 0.63

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.39 KWD 0.43

245.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.46 KWD 0.45

10.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.44 KWD 0.44

163.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.86 KWD 0.26

329.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.77 KWD 0.54

-36.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.50 KWD 0.15

432.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.94 KWD 0.91

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 KWD 0.28

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.37 KWD 0.73

118.57%

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

$0.79 KWD 0.24

41.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.02 KWD 0.93

-29.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.08 KWD 0.95

-49.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$17.48 KWD 5.38

-51.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.36 KWD 0.11

322.22%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.1K KWD 6,797

-2.06%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.4K KWD 5,366

98.19%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$56.6 KWD 17.43

70.18%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$22.64 KWD 6.98

58.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.25 KWD 9.32

77.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$104 KWD 31.90

-30.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.92 KWD 3.06

-20.46%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$241 KWD 74.2

105.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,023 KWD 2,164

68.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$34.14 KWD 10.52

58.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.91 KWD 10.45

63.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$98.7 KWD 30.40

-21.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$91.5 KWD 28.19

-12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$826 KWD 254

-4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$588 KWD 181

35.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,625 KWD 501

142.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,229 KWD 379

15.45%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.53

32.01%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Qairawan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Qairawan

$588 45.9% 25.9% $206

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Qairawan

$167 13% 52.7% $186

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Qairawan

$156 12.2% 26.2% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Qairawan

$109 8.5% 41.1% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Qairawan

$116 9.1% 3.2% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Qairawan

$123 9.6% 41.2% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Qairawan

$22 * 1.7% 75.2% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $826 in Qairawan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $57.0 in Qairawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $167 – making Qairawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇼 Qairawan

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

18:13 6:13 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KWD, 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).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Qairawan 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Qairawan

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 Qairawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,282 in Qairawan – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,923 in Qairawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $57.0 in Qairawan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 111% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Qairawan, where all-in costs run around $1,282, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Qairawan 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 $1,282 in Qairawan 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 Qairawan. 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.