Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiraz and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $551 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$551

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $551 per month in Shiraz vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Shiraz $551
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $810 per month in Shiraz vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Shiraz $810
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,069 per month in Shiraz vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Shiraz $1,069
Nosara $3,712

Shiraz is about 70% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shiraz sits 59% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 $4.62

$12.22 ₡5,509

-62.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.16 $13.16

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-78.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 $3.92

$7.54 ₡3,399

-48.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

Cappuccino

$1.17 $1.17

$4.31 ₡1,941

-72.85%

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

$0.66 $0.66

$1.72 ₡773

-61.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 $0.67

$1.57 ₡707

-57.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 $0.41

$3.17 ₡1,429

-87.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.42 ₡1,091

-21.49%

Eggs

$1.22 $1.22

$3.57 ₡1,609

-65.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$7.43 ₡3,349

-68.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$10.42 ₡4,697

-71.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.81 $9.81

$13.66 ₡6,156

-28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.32 ₡1,044

-51.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.61 ₡728

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$4.74 ₡2,138

-81.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.66 ₡747

-66.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$3.72 ₡1,679

-85.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$3.57 ₡1,611

-84.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.10 ₡497

-53.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 $0.17

$2.55 ₡1,149

-93.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.87 $0.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.95 ₡2,232

-38.59%

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)

$0.11 $0.11

$1.19 ₡537

-90.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.09 $3.09

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-95.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 $0.38

$2.24 ₡1,011

-83.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 $0.21

$1.55 ₡701

-86.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$8.86 ₡3,993

-61.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$66.0K $66.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

202.59%

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

$53.1K $53.1K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

53.37%

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

$23.64 $23.64

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-74.70%

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

$2.06 $2.06

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-94.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.07 $17.07

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-66.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.96 $18.96

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-73.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.51 $13.51

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-61.88%

Cinema Ticket

$1.98 $1.98

$7.84 ₡3,535

-74.74%

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

$104 $104

$490 ₡220.7K

-78.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,421 $2,421

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-79.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.81 $22.81

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-57.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.49 $18.49

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-66.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$79.3 ₡35.7K

20.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 $56.0

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 $291

$786 ₡354.3K

-63.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 $217

$780 ₡351.6K

-72.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 $537

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-86.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 $321

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-77.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,164 $1,164

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-83.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$503 $503

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-58.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$243 $243

$876 ₡395.0K

-72.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

8.62

181.90%

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

Last update for Shiraz: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shiraz

$217 40%

Nosara

$780 43% 260% $563

Groceries & Markets

Shiraz

$103 18.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 241% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Shiraz

$87 16%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 38.9% $34

Eating Out

Shiraz

$65 * 12.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 220% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiraz

$43 7.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 321% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Shiraz

$23 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 280% $64

Getting Around

Shiraz

$5 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1651% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $291 in Shiraz 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 261% 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 $13.00 in Shiraz versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $350 – making Shiraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:12 7:12 AM

21:42 9:42 PM

9 h 30 min behind Shiraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,565,572

4,912

💱 Currency

USD USD

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shiraz Nosara 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Shiraz
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shiraz vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $551 in Shiraz, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 234% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $826 per month in Shiraz 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 Shiraz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 2232% less in Shiraz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $104 per month in Shiraz and $490 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 Shiraz, where all-in costs run around $551, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Shiraz 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 $551 in Shiraz to $1,837 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 Shiraz. 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.