Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Umluj

For one person, living is cheaper in Umluj: $1,182 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Umluj
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Umluj Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Umluj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Umluj

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,182 in Umluj, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Umluj $1,182

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,758 in Umluj, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Umluj $1,758

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,333 in Umluj, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Umluj $2,333

Nosara costs about 56% more than Umluj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Umluj is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.97 SAR 22.41

106.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.58 SAR 141

62.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.20 SAR 30.76

-8.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SAR 8.57

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.26 SAR 12.23

35.28%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.84 SAR 3.14

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.26 SAR 0.98

403.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.68 SAR 6.30

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.31 SAR 4.91

130.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.38 SAR 8.92

5.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.40 SAR 9.00

48.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.60 SAR 28.54

-2.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.66 SAR 28.76

37.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.06 SAR 48.99

6.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.23 SAR 8.39

5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.65 SAR 6.20

190.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.63 SAR 6.13

-1.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.17 SAR 4.40

224.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.32 SAR 4.96

179.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.26 SAR 4.73

-10.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.58 SAR 2.17

358.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.57 SAR 24.65

-21.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.09 SAR 4.10

2.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$36.82 SAR 138

97.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.63 SAR 9.86

-18.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.85 SAR 6.93

-15.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.56 SAR 50.9

-37.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.65 SAR 2.43

133.85%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$44.5K SAR 167.0K

-51.43%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.5K SAR 80.9K

60.19%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$102 SAR 383

-5.63%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.15 SAR 121

11.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$66.5 SAR 250

-19.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$81.2 SAR 305

-11.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.16 SAR 49.37

-40.05%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$428 SAR 1,608

15.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,089 SAR 30.4K

46.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$41.94 SAR 157

28.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$54.3 SAR 204

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$98.1 SAR 368

-20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$85.9 SAR 322

-7.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$581 SAR 2,180

35.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$375 SAR 1,409

111.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$810 SAR 3,039

386.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$578 SAR 2,171

145.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,332 SAR 8,752

196.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,372 SAR 5,150

-10.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$4,243 SAR 15.9K

-79.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.54

55.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Umluj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Umluj

$376 31.8% 52.7% $419

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Umluj

$204 17.2% 42.2% $149

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Umluj

$116 9.8% 45.3% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Umluj

$201 17% 8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Umluj

$126 10.7% 5% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Umluj

$108 9.1% 23% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Umluj

$53 4.5% 39.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $581 in Umluj. 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 391% higher in Umluj, 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 $38.00 in Umluj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $204 – making Umluj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Umluj

🕒 Local time

19:23 7:23 PM

04:23 4:23 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

37,757

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Umluj 12,710 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Umluj

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 Umluj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,182 in Umluj – roughly 56% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,773 in Umluj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 97% less in Umluj. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $428 in Umluj. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Umluj, where all-in costs run around $1,182, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Umluj 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 $1,182 in Umluj 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 Umluj. 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.