Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riffa and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Riffa: $1,208 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Riffa
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Riffa Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Riffa

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,208

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riffa 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 Riffa and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Riffa vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Riffa $1,208
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,870 per month in Riffa vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Riffa $1,870
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,533 per month in Riffa vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Riffa $2,533
Nosara $3,818

Riffa is about 34% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Riffa sits 11% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.19 BHD 1.96

$12.35 ₡5,539

-57.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.26 BHD 14.82

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-35.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 BHD 2.29

$7.52 ₡3,373

-19.15%

Cappuccino

$4.03 BHD 1.52

$4.41 ₡1,978

-8.62%

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

$0.69 BHD 0.26

$1.74 ₡780

-60.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 BHD 0.09

$1.31 ₡587

-80.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 BHD 2.50

$3.28 ₡1,471

102.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 BHD 2.95

$4.47 ₡2,004

74.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 BHD 0.54

$1.56 ₡701

-8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 BHD 0.26

$3.02 ₡1,355

-77.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 BHD 0.70

$2.51 ₡1,125

-25.90%

Eggs

$2.23 BHD 0.84

$3.57 ₡1,603

-37.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 BHD 2.97

$7.43 ₡3,333

5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 BHD 2.35

$10.52 ₡4,717

-40.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 BHD 3.18

$13.97 ₡6,265

-39.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 BHD 0.90

$2.35 ₡1,052

1.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 BHD 0.65

$1.61 ₡720

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 BHD 0.69

$4.80 ₡2,152

-62.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 BHD 0.41

$1.61 ₡724

-32.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 BHD 0.40

$3.80 ₡1,703

-72.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 BHD 0.26

$3.69 ₡1,657

-81.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BHD 0.21

$1.13 ₡507

-51.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 BHD 0.21

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 BHD 1.94

$5.18 ₡2,321

-0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 BHD 4.92

$19.88 ₡8,916

-34.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 BHD 0.68

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 BHD 0.99

$3.63 ₡1,626

-27.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 BHD 0.30

$1.12 ₡504

-27.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.31 BHD 13.33

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-51.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 BHD 2.01

$2.14 ₡958

149.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 BHD 1.32

$1.57 ₡703

122.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.48 BHD 3.96

$8.52 ₡3,823

23.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 BHD 0.19

$1.52 ₡682

-67.76%

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

$22.8K BHD 8,612

$21.6K ₡9.7M

5.60%

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

$20.9K BHD 7,897

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-39.38%

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

$131 BHD 49.58

$96.3 ₡43.2K

36.43%

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

$24.06 BHD 9.08

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-32.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.71 BHD 13.48

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-33.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 BHD 27.52

$71.6 ₡32.1K

1.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.12 BHD 4.95

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-62.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 BHD 3.95

$7.89 ₡3,539

32.57%

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

$483 BHD 182

$494 ₡221.6K

-2.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,695 BHD 2,149

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-51.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.39 BHD 11.09

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-45.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.24 BHD 8.02

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-61.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 BHD 24.80

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-15.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.04 BHD 14.73

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-50.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 BHD 345

$788 ₡353.4K

15.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 BHD 160

$794 ₡356.2K

-46.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 BHD 573

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-61.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 BHD 327

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-39.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,370 BHD 517

$864 ₡387.3K

58.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

8.62

-36.19%

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

Last update for Riffa: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riffa

$425 35.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 87% $370

Groceries & Markets

Riffa

$206 17.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 71.1% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riffa

$191 15.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 2.8% $5.4

Eating Out

Riffa

$161 13.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 31.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Riffa

$94 7.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 6.9% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Riffa

$70 5.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 71.8% $50

Getting Around

Riffa

$61 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 41.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $914 in Riffa versus $788 in Nosara. 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 59% higher in Riffa, 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 $39.00 in Riffa versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $352 – making Riffa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Riffa

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

07:06 7:06 AM

9 h behind Riffa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,566

4,912

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Riffa Nosara 13,810 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Riffa
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

Riffa vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Riffa, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 52% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Riffa and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 106% less in Riffa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $483 per month in Riffa and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Riffa, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Riffa 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 $1,208 in Riffa 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 Riffa. 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.