Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Wadi Musa

For one person, living is cheaper in Wadi Musa: $1,014 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Wadi Musa
🇯🇴 Jordan
$1,014
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Wadi Musa

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,014 in Wadi Musa, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Wadi Musa $1,014

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,317 in Wadi Musa, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Wadi Musa $1,317

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,620 in Wadi Musa, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Wadi Musa $1,620

Nosara costs about 81% more than Wadi Musa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Wadi Musa is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Wadi Musa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$7.21 JOD 5.10
71.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$35.01 JOD 24.79
74.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$7.01 JOD 4.96
7.28%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$2.85 JOD 2.02
54.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$0.47 JOD 0.34
270.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.44 JOD 0.31
197.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$8.52 JOD 6.03
-61.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$10.98 JOD 7.77
-59.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Wadi Musa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.43 JOD 1.01
9.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$0.67 JOD 0.47
350.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.38 JOD 0.98
81.88%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$2.39 JOD 1.69
49.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$9.47 JOD 6.71
-21.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$5.62 JOD 3.98
87.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$11.34 JOD 8.03
23.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$1.43 JOD 1.01
64.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.43 JOD 1.01
12.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$1.43 JOD 1.01
235.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$0.70 JOD 0.50
130.00%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$0.70 JOD 0.49
442.86%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$0.69 JOD 0.49
434.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$0.60 JOD 0.43
88.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.41 JOD 0.29
548.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$3.60 JOD 2.55
43.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$21.55 JOD 15.26
-7.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$5.02 JOD 3.55
-42.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$5.03 JOD 3.56
-27.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Wadi Musa
Difference
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
$0.64 JOD 0.45
234.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.40 JOD 0.99
12.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$7.02 JOD 4.97
21.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.11 JOD 0.79
36.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$34.9K JOD 24.7K
-38.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$35.1K JOD 24.9K
-1.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Wadi Musa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$70.1 JOD 49.66
37.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$4.26 JOD 3.02
742.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$14.25 JOD 10.09
276.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Wadi Musa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$35.70 JOD 25.27
100.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$11.18 JOD 7.91
-29.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Wadi Musa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$486 JOD 344
1.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$9,551 JOD 6,762
24.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Wadi Musa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$64.5 JOD 45.63
-16.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$81.4 JOD 57.7
-31.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$124 JOD 87.5
-36.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$85.6 JOD 60.6
-6.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Wadi Musa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$353 JOD 250
123.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$278 JOD 197
185.34%
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Wadi Musa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$501 JOD 354
72.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.81
26.58%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Wadi Musa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Wadi Musa
$278 65% $516
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Wadi Musa
$241 31.7% $112
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Wadi Musa
$181 14.5% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Wadi Musa
$89 52.3% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Wadi Musa
$160 33.1% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Wadi Musa
$58 33.6% $29
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Wadi Musa
$7.6 * 91.2% $79

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 $353 in Wadi Musa. 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 73% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $35.00 in Wadi Musa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $241 – making Wadi Musa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇯🇴 Wadi Musa
🕒 Local time
13:58 1:58 PM
22:58 10:58 PM
9 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
14,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Wadi Musa 12,300 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Wadi Musa

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 Wadi Musa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Wadi Musa compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,014 in Wadi Musa – roughly 81% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Wadi Musa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,521 in Wadi Musa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Wadi Musa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wadi Musa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $35.00 in Wadi Musa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 46% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Wadi Musa, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Wadi Musa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Wadi Musa?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,014 in Wadi Musa to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Wadi Musa safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Wadi Musa?
If budget matters most, go with Wadi Musa. 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.

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