Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Yanbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Yanbu: $1,031 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Yanbu
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Yanbu Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Yanbu

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,031

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Yanbu

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,031 in Yanbu, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Yanbu $1,031

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,633 in Yanbu, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Yanbu $1,633

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,236 in Yanbu, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Yanbu $2,236

Nosara costs about 78% more than Yanbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Yanbu is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.26 SAR 23.48

97.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.63 SAR 141

62.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.63 SAR 24.87

13.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.89 SAR 14.61

13.37%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.86 SAR 3.24

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.20 SAR 0.76

555.00%

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

$1.74 SAR 6.53

-10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.92 SAR 3.47

228.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.16 SAR 8.12

16.20%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.41 SAR 9.04

48.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.51 SAR 24.44

14.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.27 SAR 31.02

27.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.89 SAR 48.36

8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.05 SAR 7.68

14.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.74 SAR 6.54

-7.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.50 SAR 5.62

220.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.69 SAR 6.33

-4.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.12 SAR 4.21

239.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.05 SAR 3.94

251.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.09 SAR 4.09

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.54 SAR 2.03

392.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.53 SAR 24.51

-20.67%

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

$1.05 SAR 3.93

6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$36.72 SAR 138

97.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-31.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.83 SAR 3.12

89.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.99 SAR 52.5

-39.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.58 SAR 2.18

162.07%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$46.8K SAR 175.5K

-53.78%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.6K SAR 80.9K

60.16%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$90.7 SAR 340

6.14%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$22.55 SAR 84.6

59.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$68.7 SAR 258

-22.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$98.7 SAR 370

-27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$26.18 SAR 98.2

33.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.97 SAR 44.91

-34.09%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$268 SAR 1,007

84.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,785 SAR 14.2K

213.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$74.5 SAR 279

-27.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$56.8 SAR 213

-2.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$98.0 SAR 368

-20.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$93.7 SAR 352

-15.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$308 SAR 1,156

155.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$216 SAR 810

267.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$602 SAR 2,261

553.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$424 SAR 1,592

234.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,369 SAR 8,890

191.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,269 SAR 4,763

-3.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,510 SAR 13.2K

-75.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.39

59.93%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Yanbu

$216 21% 72.8% $578

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Yanbu

$196 19% 44.4% $156

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Yanbu

$121 11.7% 42.9% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Yanbu

$182 17.7% 2% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Yanbu

$145 14.1% 21% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Yanbu

$123 11.9% 40.3% $35

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Yanbu

$48 4.7% 44.7% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $308 in Yanbu. 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 306% higher in Yanbu, 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 Yanbu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $196 – making Yanbu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇦 Yanbu

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

13:42 1:42 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

233,236

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Yanbu 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Yanbu

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 Yanbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,031 in Yanbu – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,546 in Yanbu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 98% less in Yanbu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $268 in Yanbu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yanbu, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Yanbu 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 $1,031 in Yanbu 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 Yanbu. 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.