Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Sur: $1,151 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Sur
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Sur Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,151

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sur

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,151 in Sur, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sur $1,151

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,657 in Sur, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sur $1,657

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,163 in Sur, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sur $2,163

Nosara costs about 60% more than Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Sur is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.99 OMR 1.54

209.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$26.52 OMR 10.21

130.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.60 OMR 2.93

-1.05%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.98 OMR 1.92

-11.45%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.74 OMR 0.29

135.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.25 OMR 0.10

424.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$12.86 OMR 4.95

-74.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$13.11 OMR 5.05

-65.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.59 OMR 0.61

-1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.24 OMR 0.48

143.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.74 OMR 0.67

44.25%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.96 OMR 0.75

82.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.43 OMR 2.86

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.90 OMR 2.66

52.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.96 OMR 3.45

55.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.31 OMR 0.89

1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.34 OMR 0.52

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.07 OMR 0.41

348.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.80 OMR 0.31

101.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.76 OMR 0.29

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.53 OMR 0.20

596.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.52 OMR 0.59

-25.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.54 OMR 0.21

392.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.39 OMR 2.46

-18.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.37 OMR 5.92

29.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$5.90 OMR 2.27

-50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$10.29 OMR 3.96

-64.72%

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

$3.34 OMR 1.29

-35.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.63 OMR 1.01

-40.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.60 OMR 2.93

12.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.57 OMR 0.22

166.67%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$25.2K OMR 9,710

-14.32%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.3K OMR 8,603

54.47%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$80.7 OMR 31.07

19.30%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.85 OMR 9.18

50.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$69.6 OMR 26.81

-23.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$84.9 OMR 32.70

-15.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.47 OMR 4.03

-24.64%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$285 OMR 110

73.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,440 OMR 2,479

84.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$56.3 OMR 21.67

-4.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$42.84 OMR 16.49

29.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$89.5 OMR 34.47

-12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$86.4 OMR 33.26

-7.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$263 OMR 101

200.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$271 OMR 104

193.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$473 OMR 182

733.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$387 OMR 149

267.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$562 OMR 217

1128.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$529 OMR 204

131.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,638 OMR 1,015

-67.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.25

64.19%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sur: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sur

$271 23.5% 65.9% $524

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sur

$251 21.8% 28.7% $101

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sur

$209 18.2% 1.3% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sur

$174 15.1% 6.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sur

$124 10.8% 3.1% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sur

$106 9.2% 21.2% $19

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sur

$16 * 1.4% 81.1% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $263 in Sur. 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 205% higher in Sur, 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 $27.00 in Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $251 – making Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇴🇲 Sur

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

13:00 1:00 PM

10 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

120,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sur 14,770 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sur

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 Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,151 in Sur – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,727 in Sur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sur, 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 $61.0 in Nosara and $27.00 in Sur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% 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 Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,151, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sur 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 $1,151 in Sur 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 Sur. 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.