Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sidon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidon: $1,001 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Sidon
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Sidon Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sidon

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sidon

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,001 in Sidon, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sidon $1,001

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,606 in Sidon, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sidon $1,606

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,210 in Sidon, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sidon $2,210

Nosara costs about 84% more than Sidon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Sidon is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.22 LBP 1.1M

1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

-12.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.90 LBP 886.1K

-24.04%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.61 LBP 412.5K

-4.34%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.35 LBP 210.4K

-25.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.83 LBP 74.6K

57.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.08 LBP 454.6K

-35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.64 LBP 415.2K

-3.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.93 LBP 172.6K

-19.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.84 LBP 75.6K

259.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.27 LBP 202.7K

10.57%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.55 LBP 317.4K

0.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.91 LBP 976.8K

-31.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.59 LBP 947.8K

-0.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.81 LBP 1.3M

-5.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.02 LBP 269.9K

-22.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.70 LBP 151.8K

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.69 LBP 151.6K

184.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.53 LBP 137.0K

5.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.21 LBP 108.4K

214.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.54 LBP 138.0K

139.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.16 LBP 103.5K

-2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.73 LBP 65.6K

264.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.03 LBP 271.3K

70.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.79 LBP 966.0K

84.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.28 LBP 114.1K

126.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.47 LBP 221.0K

46.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.03 LBP 450.2K

-57.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.19 LBP 195.6K

-28.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

-61.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.10 LBP 98.2K

38.18%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$54.1K LBP 4.8B

-60.07%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.1K LBP 2.9B

7.55%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$233 LBP 20.8M

-58.62%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$21.86 LBP 2.0M

64.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$37.35 LBP 3.3M

43.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.95 LBP 890.8K

-20.70%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$685 LBP 61.3M

-27.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.5K LBP 942.4M

12.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$68.2 LBP 6.1M

-20.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$50.1 LBP 4.5M

10.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$138 LBP 12.4M

-43.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$119 LBP 10.7M

-33.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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

-21.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sidon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sidon

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sidon

$274 27.4% 22.3% $78

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sidon

$230 23% 8.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sidon

$292 29.2% 57.1% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sidon

$169 16.9% 40.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sidon

$20 * 2% 77.2% $67

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sidon

$16 * 1.6% 81.7% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $70.0 in Sidon. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $274 in Sidon – so Sidon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇧 Sidon

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

21:05 9:05 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

163,554

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sidon 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sidon

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 Sidon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,001 in Sidon – roughly 84% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,501 in Sidon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $70.0 in Sidon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 Sidon, where all-in costs run around $1,001, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sidon 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 $1,001 in Sidon 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 Sidon. 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.