Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sulaymaniyah

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $773 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Sulaymaniyah $773

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Sulaymaniyah $1,194

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,615 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Sulaymaniyah $1,615

Nosara costs about 138% more than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Sulaymaniyah is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.07 IQD 7,660

141.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

162.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

7.10%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.88 IQD 4,344

49.65%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.50 IQD 759

244.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.25 IQD 378

440.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.93 IQD 5,943

-17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.27 IQD 3,427

97.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.28 IQD 1,935

22.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.01 IQD 1,519

213.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.86 IQD 2,812

30.11%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.77 IQD 2,672

101.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$4.96 IQD 7,490

49.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.22 IQD 6,382

146.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

-10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.28 IQD 1,935

81.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.28 IQD 1,937

25.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.15 IQD 1,737

312.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.68 IQD 1,025

144.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.56 IQD 847

564.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.73 IQD 1,096

389.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.73 IQD 1,101

50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.50 IQD 752

410.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.28 IQD 3,444

117.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

78.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.95 IQD 2,949

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.42 IQD 2,141

148.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.60 IQD 902

98.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

217.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.22 IQD 3,361

0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.34 IQD 3,531

-33.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$5.50 IQD 8,306

61.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.69 IQD 1,045

127.54%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

4.45%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

82.86%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$100 IQD 151.7K

-6.89%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

205.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

83.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

79.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

76.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

3.43%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$173 IQD 261.0K

183.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

303.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

183.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

121.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

83.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

104.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$215 IQD 324.7K

265.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$175 IQD 264.2K

345.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$492 IQD 743.9K

684.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$363 IQD 548.8K

287.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$786 IQD 1.2M

786.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$630 IQD 952.4K

90.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$584 IQD 882.1K

50.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.77

49.39%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5% 77.6% $605

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2% 46.1% $161

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9% 41.1% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18% 22.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3% 52.9% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1% 37% $32

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5% 55.1% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $215 in Sulaymaniyah. 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 50% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $188 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

00:40 12:40 AM

09:40 9:40 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

823,199

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, 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).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sulaymaniyah 12,810 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $773 in Sulaymaniyah – roughly 138% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,160 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 218% less in Sulaymaniyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $173 in Sulaymaniyah. 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 Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sulaymaniyah 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 $773 in Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah. 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.