Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharm El Sheikh and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh: $455 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sharm El Sheikh
🇪🇬 Egypt
$455
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $455 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sharm El Sheikh $455
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $706 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sharm El Sheikh $706
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $956 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sharm El Sheikh $956
  • Nosara $3,818

Sharm El Sheikh is about 75% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sharm El Sheikh sits 66% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sharm El Sheikh
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$12.35 ₡5,539
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.17 E£1,237
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-62.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.87 E£260
$7.52 ₡3,373
-35.24%
Cappuccino
$2.23 E£119
$4.41 ₡1,978
-49.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 E£17.57
$1.74 ₡780
-81.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 E£31.40
$1.31 ₡587
-54.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.79 E£202
$3.28 ₡1,471
15.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.66 E£249
$4.47 ₡2,004
4.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sharm El Sheikh
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 E£43.80
$1.56 ₡701
-47.44%
White Bread (500g)
-
$3.02 ₡1,355
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.45 E£24.03
$2.51 ₡1,125
-82.07%
Eggs
$1.21 E£64.5
$3.57 ₡1,603
-66.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.43 ₡3,333
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.75 E£200
$10.52 ₡4,717
-64.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$13.97 ₡6,265
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.55 E£82.9
$2.35 ₡1,052
-34.04%
Banana (1kg)
$0.45 E£24.00
$1.61 ₡720
-72.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.45 E£24.12
$4.80 ₡2,152
-90.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.27 E£14.28
$1.61 ₡724
-83.23%
Potato (1kg)
-
$3.80 ₡1,703
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$3.69 ₡1,657
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.13 ₡507
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.66 ₡1,191
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.17 E£116
$5.18 ₡2,321
-58.11%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$19.88 ₡8,916
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 E£78.8
$2.90 ₡1,300
-48.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.63 ₡1,626
-
🚌 Getting Around
Sharm El Sheikh
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.10 E£5.23
$1.12 ₡504
-91.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.14 ₡958
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.57 ₡703
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.52 ₡3,823
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.46 E£24.81
$1.52 ₡682
-69.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K E£1.7M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
51.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K E£1.2M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-36.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sharm El Sheikh
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.34 E£605
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-68.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.77 E£1,483
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-48.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sharm El Sheikh
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.89 ₡3,539
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sharm El Sheikh
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$494 ₡221.6K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sharm El Sheikh
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sharm El Sheikh
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$359 E£19.2K
$788 ₡353.4K
-54.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$287 E£15.3K
$794 ₡356.2K
-63.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$622 E£33.2K
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-84.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$530 E£28.3K
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-62.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$948 E£50.6K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-86.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$665 E£35.5K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-45.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sharm El Sheikh
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$151 E£8,062
$864 ₡387.3K
-82.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
26.5
8.62
207.42%

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

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sharm El Sheikh
$287
Nosara
$794 176% $507
Eating Out
Sharm El Sheikh
$73 *
Nosara
$212 189% $139
Groceries & Markets
Sharm El Sheikh
$55 *
Nosara
$352 546% $298
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sharm El Sheikh
$39 *
Nosara
$186 375% $147
Getting Around
Sharm El Sheikh
$0.4 *
Nosara
$87 22236% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Sharm El Sheikh
- *
Nosara
$87
Clothing & Footwear
Sharm El Sheikh
- *
Nosara
$120

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $359 in Sharm El Sheikh 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 472% 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 $23.00 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $55.0 vs $352 – making Sharm El Sheikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Sharm El Sheikh
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
11:07 11:07 AM
02:07 2:07 AM
9 h behind Sharm El Sheikh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,478
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 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
  • Sharm El Sheikh Nosara 12,310 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sharm El Sheikh
  • 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
Sharm El Sheikh vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sharm El Sheikh and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $455 in Sharm El Sheikh, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 304% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Sharm El Sheikh compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $682 per month in Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh, 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 $23.00 in Sharm El Sheikh and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sharm El Sheikh or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $455 in Sharm El Sheikh and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 304%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sharm El Sheikh, where all-in costs run around $455, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sharm El Sheikh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sharm El Sheikh and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $455 in Sharm El Sheikh to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Sharm El Sheikh. 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.

Sharm El Sheikh vs other spots: cost of living compared

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