Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Sharjah and in Nosara: $1,841 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
Learn more

Sharjah Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,841

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,841 per month in Sharjah vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sharjah $1,841
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,576 per month in Sharjah vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sharjah $2,576
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,312 per month in Sharjah vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sharjah $3,312
Nosara $3,712

Sharjah and Nosara have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Sharjah and Nosara sit above the global median – Sharjah by 37%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.97 AED 21.92

$12.22 ₡5,509

-51.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.91 AED 121

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-45.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 AED 30.45

$7.54 ₡3,399

9.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.54 AED 35.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.35 AED 34.35

Cappuccino

$3.82 AED 14.02

$4.31 ₡1,941

-11.37%

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

$0.80 AED 2.93

$1.72 ₡773

-53.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 AED 1.05

$1.35 ₡608

-78.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 AED 5.64

$1.57 ₡707

-1.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.38

$3.17 ₡1,429

-62.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 AED 6.71

$2.42 ₡1,091

-24.38%

Eggs

$3.21 AED 11.80

$3.57 ₡1,609

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 AED 31.73

$7.43 ₡3,349

16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 AED 24.36

$10.42 ₡4,697

-36.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 AED 42.09

$13.66 ₡6,156

-16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 AED 8.33

$2.32 ₡1,044

-2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 AED 6.12

$1.61 ₡728

3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 AED 4.78

$4.74 ₡2,138

-72.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 AED 4.72

$1.66 ₡747

-22.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 AED 3.79

$3.72 ₡1,679

-72.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 AED 4.12

$3.57 ₡1,611

-68.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$1.10 ₡497

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 AED 2.23

$2.55 ₡1,149

-76.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.53 AED 57.0

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 AED 8.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 AED 9.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 AED 23.19

$4.95 ₡2,232

27.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 AED 7.92

$1.19 ₡537

81.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.07 AED 99.4

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-62.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 AED 13.42

$2.24 ₡1,011

62.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.91

$1.55 ₡701

-66.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.07 AED 44.33

$8.86 ₡3,993

36.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 AED 3.46

$1.57 ₡708

-40.13%

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

$45.2K AED 166.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

107.30%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-36.42%

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

$208 AED 766

$93.5 ₡42.1K

123.10%

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

$49.40 AED 181

$35.11 ₡15.8K

40.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.1 AED 353

$51.5 ₡23.2K

86.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 AED 196

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-25.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.29 AED 81.9

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-37.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 AED 49.72

$7.84 ₡3,535

72.70%

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

$325 AED 1,194

$490 ₡220.7K

-33.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,433 AED 31.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-29.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 AED 212

$53.5 ₡24.1K

7.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.0 AED 286

$55.8 ₡25.1K

39.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AED 401

$79.3 ₡35.7K

37.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 AED 353

$78.9 ₡35.6K

21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 AED 3,024

$786 ₡354.3K

4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 AED 3,329

$780 ₡351.6K

16.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 AED 6,598

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-53.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 AED 5,148

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-0.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,241 AED 30.3K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

18.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,748 AED 10.1K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

128.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,191 AED 8,045

$876 ₡395.0K

149.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

8.62

-47.80%

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

Last update for Sharjah: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sharjah

$906 49%

Nosara

$780 43% 14% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sharjah

$354 19.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 49.1% $174

Groceries & Markets

Sharjah

$192 10.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 81.8% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Sharjah

$153 8.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 21.5% $33

Eating Out

Sharjah

$123 6.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 70.6% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Sharjah

$81 4.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 8.1% $6.5

Getting Around

Sharjah

$42 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 107% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $823 in Sharjah versus $786 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 150% higher in Sharjah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Sharjah versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $350 – making Sharjah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

07:01 7:01 AM

10 h behind Sharjah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,400,000

4,912

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sharjah Nosara 14,250 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sharjah
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

Sharjah vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,761 per month in Sharjah and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Sharjah and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 166% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Sharjah at $1,841. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sharjah 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $1,841 in Sharjah. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sharjah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.