Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sur and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sur: $1,151 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Sur
Learn more

Sur Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,151

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,151 per month in Sur vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sur $1,151
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Sur vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sur $1,657
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,163 per month in Sur vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sur $2,163
Nosara $3,818

Sur is about 37% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sur sits 15% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 OMR 1.54

$12.35 ₡5,539

-67.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 OMR 10.21

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-56.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 OMR 2.93

$7.52 ₡3,373

1.06%

Cappuccino

$4.98 OMR 1.92

$4.41 ₡1,978

12.93%

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

$0.74 OMR 0.29

$1.74 ₡780

-57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$1.31 ₡587

-80.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.86 OMR 4.95

$3.28 ₡1,471

292.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.11 OMR 5.05

$4.47 ₡2,004

193.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 OMR 0.61

$1.56 ₡701

1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$3.02 ₡1,355

-58.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$2.51 ₡1,125

-30.68%

Eggs

$1.96 OMR 0.75

$3.57 ₡1,603

-45.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 OMR 2.86

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 OMR 2.66

$10.52 ₡4,717

-34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.96 OMR 3.45

$13.97 ₡6,265

-35.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$2.35 ₡1,052

-1.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 OMR 0.52

$1.61 ₡720

-16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 OMR 0.41

$4.80 ₡2,152

-77.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$1.61 ₡724

-50.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 OMR 0.29

$3.80 ₡1,703

-80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

$3.69 ₡1,657

-85.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 OMR 0.59

$1.13 ₡507

34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 OMR 2.46

$5.18 ₡2,321

23.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.37 OMR 5.92

$19.88 ₡8,916

-22.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.90 OMR 2.27

$2.90 ₡1,300

103.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.29 OMR 3.96

$3.63 ₡1,626

183.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 OMR 1.29

$2.14 ₡958

56.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 OMR 1.01

$1.57 ₡703

67.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 OMR 2.93

$8.52 ₡3,823

-10.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 OMR 0.22

$1.52 ₡682

-62.50%

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

$25.2K OMR 9,710

$21.6K ₡9.7M

16.71%

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

$22.3K OMR 8,603

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-35.26%

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

$80.7 OMR 31.07

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-16.18%

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

$23.85 OMR 9.18

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-33.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 OMR 26.81

$53.6 ₡24.0K

29.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.9 OMR 32.70

$71.6 ₡32.1K

18.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 OMR 4.03

$7.89 ₡3,539

32.70%

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

$285 OMR 110

$494 ₡221.6K

-42.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,440 OMR 2,479

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-45.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 OMR 21.67

$53.9 ₡24.2K

4.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.84 OMR 16.49

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-22.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 OMR 34.47

$77.9 ₡34.9K

14.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.26

$79.6 ₡35.7K

8.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 OMR 101

$788 ₡353.4K

-66.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 OMR 104

$794 ₡356.2K

-65.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 OMR 182

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-88.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 OMR 149

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-72.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$562 OMR 217

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-91.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$529 OMR 204

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-56.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,638 OMR 1,015

$864 ₡387.3K

205.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

8.62

-39.10%

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

Last update for Sur: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sur

$271 23.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 193% $524

Groceries & Markets

Sur

$251 21.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 40.2% $101

Eating Out

Sur

$209 18.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 1.4% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sur

$174 15.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 6.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Sur

$124 10.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Sur

$106 9.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 17.5% $19

Getting Around

Sur

$16 * 1.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 429% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Sur 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 205% higher in Sur, 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 $27.00 in Sur versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $352 – making Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sur

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

02:28 2:28 AM

10 h behind Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sur Nosara 14,770 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Sur
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

Sur vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,151 in Sur, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,727 per month in Sur and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Sur and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,151, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sur 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 $1,151 in Sur to $1,839 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 Sur. 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.