Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
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Qatif Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Qatif

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,102 in Qatif, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Qatif $1,102

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,642 in Qatif, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Qatif $1,642

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,183 in Qatif, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Qatif $2,183

Nosara costs about 67% more than Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Qatif is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.48 SAR 13.07

254.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$34.45 SAR 129

77.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.59 SAR 24.75

14.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.15 SAR 11.81

40.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.78 SAR 2.92

123.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.20 SAR 0.76

555.00%

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

$1.81 SAR 6.78

-13.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.97 SAR 3.63

211.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.86 SAR 6.96

34.95%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.12 SAR 7.94

68.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.96 SAR 22.35

24.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.77 SAR 29.16

35.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.73 SAR 47.77

9.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.20 SAR 8.25

6.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.70 SAR 6.36

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.58 SAR 5.94

203.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.69 SAR 2.59

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.12 SAR 4.19

239.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.15 SAR 4.32

220.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.97 SAR 3.66

16.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.55 SAR 2.06

383.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SAR 5.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 7.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.24 SAR 23.42

-16.99%

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

$1.10 SAR 4.13

1.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$36.81 SAR 138

97.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.42 SAR 9.09

-11.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.55 SAR 2.07

185.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.11 SAR 49.19

-35.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.62 SAR 2.34

145.16%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.9K SAR 134.6K

-39.76%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.7K SAR 77.8K

66.45%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$107 SAR 400

-9.74%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.52 SAR 122

10.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$58.1 SAR 218

-7.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$81.9 SAR 307

-12.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$21.75 SAR 81.6

60.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.33 SAR 50.0

-40.81%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$268 SAR 1,005

84.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,092 SAR 30.4K

46.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$31.99 SAR 120

68.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$21.32 SAR 80.0

159.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$96.9 SAR 364

-19.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$90.0 SAR 338

-11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$575 SAR 2,159

36.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$367 SAR 1,375

116.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$832 SAR 3,121

373.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$573 SAR 2,151

147.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$976 SAR 3,663

608.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$790 SAR 2,963

55.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,275 SAR 8,537

-62.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.5

56.73%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Qatif: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Qatif

$367 33.3% 53.9% $428

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Qatif

$186 16.9% 47.3% $167

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Qatif

$89 8.1% 57.8% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Qatif

$197 17.9% 6.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Qatif

$108 9.8% 10% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Qatif

$109 9.9% 24.2% $21

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Qatif

$46 4.2% 46.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $575 in Qatif. 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 163% higher in Qatif, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $34.00 in Qatif. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $186 – making Qatif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

18:12 6:12 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

87,332

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Qatif 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Qatif

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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,102 in Qatif – roughly 67% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,653 in Qatif. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 97% less in Qatif. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $268 in Qatif. 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 Qatif, where all-in costs run around $1,102, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Qatif 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 $1,102 in Qatif 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 Qatif. 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.