Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sidon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidon: $1,001 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sidon
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,001
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,001 per month in Sidon vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sidon $1,001
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,606 per month in Sidon vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sidon $1,606
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,210 per month in Sidon vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sidon $2,210
  • Nosara $3,818

Sidon is about 46% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sidon sits 26% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sidon
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 LBP 1.1M
$12.35 ₡5,539
-1.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.7 LBP 6.2M
$61.2 ₡27.4K
13.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.90 LBP 886.1K
$7.52 ₡3,373
31.65%
Cappuccino
$4.61 LBP 412.5K
$4.41 ₡1,978
4.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 LBP 210.4K
$1.74 ₡780
35.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 LBP 74.6K
$1.31 ₡587
-36.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.08 LBP 454.6K
$3.28 ₡1,471
54.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.64 LBP 415.2K
$4.47 ₡2,004
3.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sidon
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.93 LBP 172.6K
$1.56 ₡701
23.72%
White Bread (500g)
$0.84 LBP 75.6K
$3.02 ₡1,355
-72.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 LBP 202.7K
$2.51 ₡1,125
-9.56%
Eggs
$3.55 LBP 317.4K
$3.57 ₡1,603
-0.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.91 LBP 976.8K
$7.43 ₡3,333
46.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.59 LBP 947.8K
$10.52 ₡4,717
0.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.81 LBP 1.3M
$13.97 ₡6,265
6.01%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 LBP 269.9K
$2.35 ₡1,052
28.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 LBP 151.8K
$1.61 ₡720
5.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.69 LBP 151.6K
$4.80 ₡2,152
-64.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 LBP 137.0K
$1.61 ₡724
-4.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 LBP 108.4K
$3.80 ₡1,703
-68.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 LBP 138.0K
$3.69 ₡1,657
-58.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 LBP 103.5K
$1.13 ₡507
2.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 LBP 65.6K
$2.66 ₡1,191
-72.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.03 LBP 271.3K
$5.18 ₡2,321
-41.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.79 LBP 966.0K
$19.88 ₡8,916
-45.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 LBP 114.1K
$2.90 ₡1,300
-55.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 LBP 221.0K
$3.63 ₡1,626
-31.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Sidon
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡504
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.03 LBP 450.2K
$2.14 ₡958
135.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 LBP 195.6K
$1.57 ₡703
39.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.28 LBP 2.0M
$8.52 ₡3,823
161.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 LBP 98.2K
$1.52 ₡682
-27.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$54.1K LBP 4.8B
$21.6K ₡9.7M
150.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K LBP 2.9B
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-7.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sidon
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$233 LBP 20.8M
$96.3 ₡43.2K
141.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.86 LBP 2.0M
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-39.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.35 LBP 3.3M
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-30.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sidon
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.95 LBP 890.8K
$7.89 ₡3,539
26.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sidon
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$685 LBP 61.3M
$494 ₡221.6K
38.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K LBP 942.4M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-11.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sidon
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 LBP 6.1M
$53.9 ₡24.2K
26.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.1 LBP 4.5M
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-9.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 LBP 12.4M
$77.9 ₡34.9K
77.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 LBP 10.7M
$79.6 ₡35.7K
49.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sidon
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$788 ₡353.4K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$794 ₡356.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sidon
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
8.62
27.61%

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

Last update for Sidon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sidon
$292
Nosara
$186 36.4% $106
Groceries & Markets
Sidon
$274
Nosara
$352 28.7% $78
Eating Out
Sidon
$230
Nosara
$212 8% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Sidon
$169
Nosara
$120 29% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Sidon
$20 *
Nosara
$87 339% $67
Getting Around
Sidon
$16 *
Nosara
$87 446% $71
Accommodation & Living
Sidon
- *
Nosara
$794

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Sidon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Sidon vs $352 in Nosara – so Sidon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇱🇧 Sidon
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
21:00 9:00 PM
12:00 12:00 PM
9 h behind Sidon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
163,554
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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
  • Sidon Nosara 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sidon
  • 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
Sidon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sidon and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,001 in Sidon, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 84% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Sidon compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,501 per month in Sidon and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Sidon 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 29% 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 $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sidon, where all-in costs run around $1,001, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sidon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sidon and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,001 in Sidon to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sidon 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 Sidon and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Sidon. 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.

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