Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabigh and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabigh: $953 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Rabigh
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Rabigh Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Rabigh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$953

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rabigh and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rabigh and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $953 per month in Rabigh vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

Rabigh $953
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $1,456 per month in Rabigh vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

Rabigh $1,456
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $1,960 per month in Rabigh vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

Rabigh $1,960
Nosara $3,820

Rabigh is about 48% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rabigh sits 30% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 SAR 17.49

$12.36 ₡5,575

-62.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.40 SAR 99.1

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-56.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 SAR 26.15

$7.88 ₡3,557

-11.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 SAR 5.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

Cappuccino

$2.57 SAR 9.63

$4.40 ₡1,986

-41.59%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.63

$1.72 ₡776

-59.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.34 ₡603

-82.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,505

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,048

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

$1.64 ₡739

14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 SAR 3.82

$3.16 ₡1,426

-67.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 SAR 8.23

$2.39 ₡1,080

-8.37%

Eggs

$2.56 SAR 9.61

$3.47 ₡1,564

-26.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 SAR 22.80

$7.13 ₡3,217

-14.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.04 SAR 45.17

$10.32 ₡4,655

16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.60

$13.97 ₡6,302

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

$2.29 ₡1,031

-9.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.62 ₡731

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.76

$4.81 ₡2,169

-62.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$1.68 ₡758

-10.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$3.91 ₡1,765

-65.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

$3.63 ₡1,640

-58.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$1.13 ₡509

-6.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$2.63 ₡1,188

-71.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.89 SAR 10.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.22

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SAR 29.80

$5.02 ₡2,267

58.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,893

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,314

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,597

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$1.21 ₡545

-10.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.60 SAR 126

$73.8 ₡33.3K

-54.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 SAR 9.06

$2.15 ₡969

12.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$1.63 ₡738

60.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$8.77 ₡3,958

53.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.27

$1.55 ₡700

-60.65%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-21.44%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

$38.5K ₡17.4M

-44.39%

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

$66.6 SAR 250

$95.2 ₡43.0K

-30.05%

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

$34.24 SAR 128

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-5.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 SAR 239

$52.0 ₡23.5K

22.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 SAR 277

$67.6 ₡30.5K

9.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$15.35 SAR 57.6

$7.54 ₡3,404

103.58%

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

$428 SAR 1,606

$496 ₡224.0K

-13.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,737 SAR 29.0K

$11.8K ₡5.3M

-34.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.32 SAR 49.99

$55.1 ₡24.9K

-75.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 SAR 207

$56.1 ₡25.3K

-1.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.72 SAR 149

$77.8 ₡35.1K

-48.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 SAR 201

$79.1 ₡35.7K

-32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 SAR 1,258

$817 ₡368.9K

-58.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 SAR 917

$806 ₡363.6K

-69.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 SAR 2,290

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-84.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 SAR 1,591

$1,429 ₡644.9K

-70.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,728 SAR 6,484

$7,068 ₡3.2M

-75.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,478 SAR 5,546

$1,197 ₡540.1K

23.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

8.62

-39.10%

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

Last update for Rabigh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabigh

$244 25.7%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 230% $561

Groceries & Markets

Rabigh

$220 23.1%

Nosara

$351 19% 59.5% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabigh

$165 17.3%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 11.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Rabigh

$105 11%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 21% $22

Eating Out

Rabigh

$93 9.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 130% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Rabigh

$73 7.7%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 65.5% $48

Getting Around

Rabigh

$53 5.6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 66.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $335 in Rabigh versus $817 in Nosara. 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 $26 in Rabigh versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $351 – making Rabigh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Rabigh

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

07:50 7:50 AM

9 h behind Rabigh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,072

4,912

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rabigh Nosara 12,980 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Rabigh
Nosara

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

Rabigh vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $953 in Rabigh, $1,846 in Nosara – roughly 94% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,429 per month in Rabigh and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rabigh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $335 there versus $817 in Nosara.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Rabigh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $428 per month in Rabigh and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Rabigh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

For expats, Rabigh is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 94% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.