Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabratha and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sabratha: $406 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.

Sabratha
🇱🇾 Libya
$406
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $406 per month in Sabratha vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sabratha $406
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $597 per month in Sabratha vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sabratha $597
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $787 per month in Sabratha vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sabratha $787
  • Nosara $3,818

Sabratha is about 78% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sabratha
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04 LYD 19.46
$12.35 ₡5,539
-75.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.22 LYD 59.1
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-84.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$1.52 LYD 9.75
$7.52 ₡3,373
-79.79%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.65 LYD 4.14
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 LYD 4.70
-
-
Cappuccino
$0.48 LYD 3.09
$4.41 ₡1,978
-89.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 LYD 1.90
$1.74 ₡780
-82.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.07 LYD 0.44
$1.31 ₡587
-94.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.28 ₡1,471
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.47 ₡2,004
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sabratha
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 LYD 5.67
$1.56 ₡701
-42.95%
White Bread (500g)
$0.22 LYD 1.41
$3.02 ₡1,355
-92.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 LYD 7.07
$2.51 ₡1,125
-56.18%
Eggs
$1.37 LYD 8.76
$3.57 ₡1,603
-61.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.27 LYD 33.79
$7.43 ₡3,333
-29.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.48 LYD 22.32
$10.52 ₡4,717
-66.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.58 LYD 61.4
$13.97 ₡6,265
-31.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.00 LYD 12.79
$2.35 ₡1,052
-14.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 LYD 9.89
$1.61 ₡720
-4.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.73 LYD 4.70
$4.80 ₡2,152
-84.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.57 LYD 3.64
$1.61 ₡724
-64.60%
Potato (1kg)
$0.49 LYD 3.13
$3.80 ₡1,703
-87.11%
Onion (1kg)
$0.29 LYD 1.89
$3.69 ₡1,657
-92.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.32 LYD 2.06
$1.13 ₡507
-71.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.17 LYD 1.06
$2.66 ₡1,191
-93.61%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.76 LYD 11.30
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 LYD 5.85
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 LYD 5.00
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.84 LYD 11.79
$5.18 ₡2,321
-64.48%
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
-
🚌 Getting Around
Sabratha
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 LYD 4.80
$1.12 ₡504
-33.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.76 LYD 4.88
$2.14 ₡958
-64.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.30 LYD 1.89
$1.57 ₡703
-80.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 LYD 5.22
$8.52 ₡3,823
-90.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.02 LYD 0.14
$1.52 ₡682
-98.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K LYD 146.9K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
6.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3K LYD 136.5K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-38.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sabratha
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.0 LYD 590
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-4.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.99 LYD 25.56
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-88.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.73 LYD 88.0
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-74.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sabratha
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$10.85 LYD 69.5
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-84.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.74 LYD 49.62
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-77.83%
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.89 ₡3,539
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sabratha
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$39.51 LYD 253
$494 ₡221.6K
-92.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$945 LYD 6,055
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-92.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sabratha
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.54 LYD 125
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-63.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.60 LYD 113
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-68.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$64.6 LYD 414
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-17.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$15.66 LYD 100
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-80.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sabratha
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$158 LYD 1,011
$788 ₡353.4K
-79.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$78.2 LYD 501
$794 ₡356.2K
-90.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$229 LYD 1,466
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-94.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$110 LYD 705
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-92.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$281 LYD 1,802
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-95.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$185 LYD 1,183
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-84.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sabratha
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$189 LYD 1,212
$864 ₡387.3K
-78.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
8.62
-

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

Last update for Sabratha: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sabratha
$113
Nosara
$352 211% $239
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sabratha
$110
Nosara
$186 69.3% $76
Accommodation & Living
Sabratha
$78
Nosara
$794 916% $716
Clothing & Footwear
Sabratha
$53
Nosara
$120 127% $67
Eating Out
Sabratha
$36
Nosara
$212 487% $176
Sport & Entertainment
Sabratha
$11 *
Nosara
$87 705% $77
Getting Around
Sabratha
$5.2 *
Nosara
$87 1562% $82

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $158 in Sabratha 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 357% 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 $9.00 in Sabratha versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $113 vs $352 – making Sabratha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇱🇾 Sabratha
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
18:08 6:08 PM
10:08 10:08 AM
8 h behind Sabratha
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
83,398
4,912
💱 Currency
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sabratha Nosara 10,160 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sabratha
  • 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
Sabratha vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sabratha and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $406 in Sabratha, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 353% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Sabratha compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $609 per month in Sabratha and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sabratha and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sabratha, 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 $9.00 in Sabratha and $61.0 in Nosara. 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 211% 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 Sabratha, where all-in costs run around $406, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sabratha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sabratha and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $406 in Sabratha to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sabratha or Nosara 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 Sabratha and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Sabratha. 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.

Sabratha vs other spots: cost of living compared

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