Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sharjah

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Sharjah: $1,837 and $1,841 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
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Sharjah Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sharjah

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,841 in Sharjah, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Sharjah $1,841

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,576 in Sharjah, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Sharjah $2,576

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,312 in Sharjah, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Sharjah $3,312

Nosara and Sharjah have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Nosara and Sharjah sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Sharjah by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.97 AED 21.92

104.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$32.91 AED 121

82.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.29 AED 30.45

-9.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.54 AED 35.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.35 AED 34.35

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.82 AED 14.02

12.83%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.80 AED 2.93

115.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.29 AED 1.05

365.52%

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

$1.54 AED 5.64

1.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.19 AED 4.38

166.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.83 AED 6.71

32.24%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.21 AED 11.80

11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.64 AED 31.73

-14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.63 AED 24.36

57.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.46 AED 42.09

19.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.27 AED 8.33

2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.67 AED 6.12

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.30 AED 4.78

264.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.28 AED 4.72

29.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.03 AED 3.79

261.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.12 AED 4.12

218.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.43 AED 5.26

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.61 AED 2.23

318.03%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.53 AED 57.0

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 AED 8.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 AED 9.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.31 AED 23.19

-21.55%

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

$2.16 AED 7.92

-44.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$27.07 AED 99.4

166.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.65 AED 13.42

-38.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.52 AED 1.91

198.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$12.07 AED 44.33

-26.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.94 AED 3.46

67.02%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$45.2K AED 166.0K

-51.76%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$22.0K AED 80.9K

57.27%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$208 AED 766

-55.18%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$49.40 AED 181

-28.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$96.1 AED 353

-46.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$53.5 AED 196

33.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$22.29 AED 81.9

59.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$13.54 AED 49.72

-42.10%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$325 AED 1,194

50.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,433 AED 31.0K

40.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$57.6 AED 212

-7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$78.0 AED 286

-28.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$109 AED 401

-27.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$96.1 AED 353

-17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$823 AED 3,024

-4.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$906 AED 3,329

-13.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,797 AED 6,598

114.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,402 AED 5,148

0.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$8,241 AED 30.3K

-15.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,748 AED 10.1K

-56.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,191 AED 8,045

-60.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.5

91.56%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Sharjah

$906 49% 16.2% $127

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Sharjah

$192 10.4% 45% $157

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Sharjah

$123 6.6% 41.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Sharjah

$354 19.1% 96.6% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sharjah

$153 8.3% 27.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sharjah

$81 4.4% 7.5% $6.5

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sharjah

$42 2.3% 51.7% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $823 in Sharjah. 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 150% higher in Sharjah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $33.00 in Sharjah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $192 – making Sharjah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

16:11 4:11 PM

10 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,400,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sharjah 14,250 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sharjah

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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,761 in Sharjah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, 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 $60.0 in Nosara and $33.00 in Sharjah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 166% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Sharjah at $1,841. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sharjah 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $1,841 in Sharjah. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sharjah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.