Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $773 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $773
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,194
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,615 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,615
Nosara $3,712

Sulaymaniyah is about 58% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sulaymaniyah sits 42% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 IQD 7,660

$12.22 ₡5,509

-58.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-61.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-6.63%

Cappuccino

$2.88 IQD 4,344

$4.31 ₡1,941

-33.18%

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

$0.50 IQD 759

$1.72 ₡773

-70.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 IQD 378

$1.35 ₡608

-81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 IQD 5,943

$3.24 ₡1,459

21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 IQD 3,427

$4.48 ₡2,018

-49.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$1.57 ₡707

-18.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 IQD 1,519

$3.17 ₡1,429

-68.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 IQD 2,812

$2.42 ₡1,091

-23.14%

Eggs

$1.77 IQD 2,672

$3.57 ₡1,609

-50.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 IQD 7,490

$7.43 ₡3,349

-33.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 IQD 6,382

$10.42 ₡4,697

-59.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

$13.66 ₡6,156

12.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$2.32 ₡1,044

-44.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,937

$1.61 ₡728

-20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,737

$4.74 ₡2,138

-75.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,025

$1.66 ₡747

-59.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 847

$3.72 ₡1,679

-84.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,096

$3.57 ₡1,611

-79.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 IQD 1,101

$1.10 ₡497

-33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 752

$2.55 ₡1,149

-80.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 IQD 3,444

$4.95 ₡2,232

-53.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 IQD 2,949

$2.79 ₡1,256

-30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 2,141

$3.53 ₡1,589

-59.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 IQD 902

$1.19 ₡537

-49.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-68.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 IQD 3,361

$2.24 ₡1,011

-0.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 IQD 3,531

$1.55 ₡701

50.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 IQD 8,306

$8.86 ₡3,993

-37.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$1.57 ₡708

-56.05%

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

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-4.26%

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

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-45.31%

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

$100 IQD 151.7K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

7.41%

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

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-67.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-45.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-44.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-43.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-3.32%

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

$173 IQD 261.0K

$490 ₡220.7K

-64.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-75.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-64.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-54.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-45.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-51.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 IQD 324.7K

$786 ₡354.3K

-72.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 264.2K

$780 ₡351.6K

-77.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 IQD 743.9K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-87.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 IQD 548.8K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-74.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$786 IQD 1.2M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-88.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$630 IQD 952.4K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-47.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$584 IQD 882.1K

$876 ₡395.0K

-33.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

8.62

-33.06%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 85.5% $161

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 346% $605

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 28.7% $40

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 69.8% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 112% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 58.7% $32

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 123% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Sulaymaniyah 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 50% 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 Sulaymaniyah versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $350 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

19:46 7:46 PM

9 h behind Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

4,912

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Nosara 12,810 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
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

Sulaymaniyah vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $773 in Sulaymaniyah, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 138% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,160 per month in Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 218% less in Sulaymaniyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $173 per month in Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sulaymaniyah 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 $773 in Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah. 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.