Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Wah

For one person, living is cheaper in Wah: $408 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Wah
Learn more

Wah Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Wah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Wah

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $408 in Wah, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Wah $408

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $623 in Wah, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Wah $623

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $838 in Wah, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Wah $838

Nosara costs about 351% more than Wah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Wah is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.78 PKR 493

593.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$10.81 PKR 2,991

465.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.47 PKR 1,513

37.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 PKR 710

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 PKR 588

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.28 PKR 354

244.53%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.33 PKR 92.7

427.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.24 PKR 66.1

445.83%

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

$0.84 PKR 232

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.66 PKR 182

357.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.21 PKR 334

107.44%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.25 PKR 345

185.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.91 PKR 2,465

-16.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.58 PKR 714

307.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$3.95 PKR 1,093

253.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.07 PKR 296

119.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.61 PKR 169

163.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.62 PKR 171

674.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.59 PKR 164

172.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.28 PKR 76.5

1257.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.47 PKR 131

685.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.44 PKR 123

156.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.44 PKR 121

504.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.56 PKR 155

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 PKR 157

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PKR 190

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.45 PKR 402

257.24%

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

$0.15 PKR 42.36

646.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.79 PKR 2,988

573.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.05 PKR 291

103.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.06 PKR 294

48.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.90 PKR 804

193.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.18 PKR 327

28.81%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.4K PKR 6.5M

-7.71%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.3K PKR 6.5M

47.86%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$66.6 PKR 18.4K

44.51%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$5.56 PKR 1,538

545.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$14.71 PKR 4,071

264.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$13.53 PKR 3,745

429.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$8.96 PKR 2,480

289.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.29 PKR 2,016

8.23%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$26.80 PKR 7,419

1743.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,047 PKR 566.5K

479.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$19.31 PKR 5,345

179.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$26.33 PKR 7,288

110.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$53.3 PKR 14.8K

46.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$29.70 PKR 8,219

168.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$144 PKR 39.8K

448.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$69.6 PKR 19.3K

1040.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$222 PKR 61.3K

1677.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$130 PKR 36.0K

991.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$929 PKR 257.1K

644.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$506 PKR 140.0K

141.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.83

-27.13%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Wah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Wah

$70 17.1% 91.2% $725

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Wah

$99 24.4% 71.8% $253

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Wah

$48 11.8% 77.2% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Wah

$87 21.3% 53.2% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Wah

$58 14.2% 51.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Wah

$28 6.9% 67.8% $59

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Wah

$18 4.4% 79.6% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $144 in Wah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $11.00 in Wah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $99.0 – making Wah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇰 Wah

🕒 Local time

19:10 7:10 PM

06:10 6:10 AM

11 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

400,733

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, 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).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Wah 14,640 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Wah

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 Wah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $408 in Wah – roughly 351% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $612 in Wah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 573% less in Wah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $26.80 in Wah. 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 Wah, where all-in costs run around $408, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Wah 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 $408 in Wah 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 Wah. 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.