Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sohar: $1,403 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

69

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,403

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,403 per month in Sohar vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sohar $1,403
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,068 per month in Sohar vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sohar $2,068
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Sohar vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sohar $2,734
Nosara $3,712

Sohar is about 24% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Sohar and Nosara sit above the global median – Sohar by 5%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 OMR 2.50

$12.22 ₡5,509

-46.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.49 OMR 7.89

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-65.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 OMR 3.54

$7.54 ₡3,399

21.88%

Cappuccino

$4.77 OMR 1.84

$4.31 ₡1,941

10.67%

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

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$1.72 ₡773

-62.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 OMR 0.11

$1.35 ₡608

-79.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.24 OMR 5.10

$3.24 ₡1,459

308.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.46 OMR 5.57

$4.48 ₡2,018

222.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 OMR 0.81

$1.57 ₡707

34.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 OMR 0.43

$3.17 ₡1,429

-64.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 OMR 1.24

$2.42 ₡1,091

33.47%

Eggs

$2.74 OMR 1.05

$3.57 ₡1,609

-23.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 OMR 5.12

$7.43 ₡3,349

79.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 OMR 3.58

$10.42 ₡4,697

-10.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 OMR 5.60

$13.66 ₡6,156

6.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 OMR 1.24

$2.32 ₡1,044

38.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 OMR 0.84

$1.61 ₡728

36.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 OMR 0.96

$4.74 ₡2,138

-47.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$1.66 ₡747

-26.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$3.72 ₡1,679

-53.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$3.57 ₡1,611

-49.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 OMR 0.66

$1.10 ₡497

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 OMR 0.35

$2.55 ₡1,149

-64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 OMR 2.25

$4.95 ₡2,232

17.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.80 OMR 9.93

$20.01 ₡9,020

28.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 OMR 1.46

$2.79 ₡1,256

35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.71 OMR 3.35

$3.53 ₡1,589

146.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 OMR 1.01

$1.19 ₡537

121.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 OMR 19.65

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-29.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 OMR 1.23

$2.24 ₡1,011

42.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 OMR 0.61

$1.55 ₡701

1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 OMR 3.93

$8.86 ₡3,993

15.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.57 ₡708

-61.78%

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

$18.4K OMR 7,101

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-15.41%

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

$20.3K OMR 7,830

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-41.28%

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

$102 OMR 39.41

$93.5 ₡42.1K

9.52%

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

$29.06 OMR 11.19

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-17.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.2 OMR 34.72

$51.5 ₡23.2K

75.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 OMR 19.02

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-30.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.56 OMR 4.45

$7.84 ₡3,535

47.45%

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

$303 OMR 117

$490 ₡220.7K

-38.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,070 OMR 2,722

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-40.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 OMR 19.30

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-6.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.95 OMR 16.92

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-21.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 OMR 30.18

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.23 OMR 17.80

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-41.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 OMR 194

$786 ₡354.3K

-36.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 OMR 146

$780 ₡351.6K

-51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 OMR 319

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-78.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 OMR 256

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-52.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,178 OMR 454

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-83.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 OMR 295

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-36.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,514 OMR 968

$876 ₡395.0K

186.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

8.62

-26.57%

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

Last update for Sohar: 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

Sohar

$378 26.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 106% $402

Groceries & Markets

Sohar

$346 24.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 1% $3.6

Eating Out

Sohar

$235 16.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 11.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sohar

$222 15.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 18.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Sohar

$98 6.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 22.3% $22

Getting Around

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 19.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 20.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $503 in Sohar 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 187% higher in Sohar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Sohar versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $350 – making Sohar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sohar

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

21:57 9:57 PM

10 h behind Sohar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,605

4,912

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 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).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sohar Nosara 14,430 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Sohar
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

Sohar vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,403 in Sohar, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,104 per month in Sohar 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 Sohar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Sohar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $303 per month in Sohar 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 Sohar, where all-in costs run around $1,403, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sohar 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 $1,403 in Sohar 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 Sohar. 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.