Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sabah Al Salem

For one person, living is cheaper in Sabah Al Salem: $1,404 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Sabah Al Salem
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Sabah Al Salem Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,404

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sabah Al Salem

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 Sabah Al Salem actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,404 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Sabah Al Salem $1,404

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,448 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Sabah Al Salem $2,448

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,492 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Sabah Al Salem $3,492

Nosara costs about 31% more than Sabah Al Salem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Sabah Al Salem sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Sabah Al Salem by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$8.29 KWD 2.58

47.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$70.4 KWD 21.87

-14.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.36 KWD 2.91

-19.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 KWD 0.99

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 KWD 0.99

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$6.51 KWD 2.02

-33.79%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.49 KWD 0.15

251.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.50 KWD 0.16

170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.91 KWD 0.59

-17.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.32 KWD 0.41

140.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.12 KWD 0.66

14.15%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.04 KWD 0.94

17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.35 KWD 2.28

1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.56 KWD 1.73

87.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.28 KWD 3.19

32.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.39 KWD 0.74

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.88 KWD 0.58

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.28 KWD 0.40

270.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.49 KWD 0.46

11.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.31 KWD 0.41

183.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.92 KWD 0.28

288.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.65 KWD 0.51

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.47 KWD 0.14

442.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.62 KWD 1.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 KWD 0.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.51 KWD 0.78

97.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.79 KWD 0.25

50.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$113 KWD 35.09

-36.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.68 KWD 1.14

-39.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.78 KWD 0.86

-44.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$14.47 KWD 4.49

-38.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.33 KWD 0.10

375.76%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$18.8K KWD 5,851

15.71%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$18.8K KWD 5,837

84.23%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$38.57 KWD 11.97

142.29%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$24.68 KWD 7.66

42.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$39.63 KWD 12.31

29.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$131 KWD 40.69

-45.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$39.05 KWD 12.13

-9.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$11.52 KWD 3.58

-31.94%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$283 KWD 87.8

73.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$7,527 KWD 2,337

57.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$38.19 KWD 11.86

40.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$38.92 KWD 12.09

43.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$98.1 KWD 30.47

-19.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$89.1 KWD 27.67

-11.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$792 KWD 246

-0.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$557 KWD 173

39.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,769 KWD 549

118.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,325 KWD 411

6.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,960 KWD 919

-70.40%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Sabah Al Salem

$557 38.9% 28.6% $223

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Sabah Al Salem

$187 13.1% 46.4% $162

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Sabah Al Salem

$176 12.3% 15.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Sabah Al Salem

$103 7.2% 42.9% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sabah Al Salem

$119 8.3% 1.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sabah Al Salem

$154 10.8% 76.9% $67

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sabah Al Salem

$134 9.4% 54% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $792 in Sabah Al Salem. 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 238% higher in Sabah Al Salem, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $70.0 in Sabah Al Salem. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $187 in Sabah Al Salem – so Sabah Al Salem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇼 Sabah Al Salem

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

11:50 11:50 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

92,818

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 KWD = 3.22 USD

1 KWD = 2.87 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.311 KWD (1 KWD = 3.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.348 KWD (1 KWD = 2.87 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sabah Al Salem 13,410 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sabah Al Salem

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 Sabah Al Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,404 in Sabah Al Salem – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,106 in Sabah Al Salem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 57% less in Sabah Al Salem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $283 in Sabah Al Salem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sabah Al Salem, where all-in costs run around $1,404, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sabah Al Salem 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 $1,404 in Sabah Al Salem to $1,837 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 Sabah Al Salem. 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.