Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Unaizah and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Unaizah: $1,130 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Unaizah
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Unaizah Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Unaizah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,130

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Unaizah vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Unaizah $1,130
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,681 per month in Unaizah vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Unaizah $1,681
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,232 per month in Unaizah vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Unaizah $2,232
Nosara $3,818

Unaizah is about 39% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Unaizah sits 16% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.27 SAR 23.54

$12.35 ₡5,539

-49.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.84 SAR 153

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-33.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 SAR 26.77

$7.52 ₡3,373

-5.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

Cappuccino

$4.05 SAR 15.20

$4.41 ₡1,978

-8.16%

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

$0.68 SAR 2.55

$1.74 ₡780

-60.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$1.31 ₡587

-78.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SAR 5.76

$1.56 ₡701

-1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$3.02 ₡1,355

-89.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 SAR 8.48

$2.51 ₡1,125

-9.96%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.74

$3.57 ₡1,603

-34.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 SAR 22.13

$7.43 ₡3,333

-20.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 SAR 17.27

$10.52 ₡4,717

-56.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 SAR 48.14

$13.97 ₡6,265

-8.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

$2.35 ₡1,052

-7.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$1.61 ₡720

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$4.80 ₡2,152

-65.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

$1.61 ₡724

-3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 SAR 4.59

$3.80 ₡1,703

-67.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 SAR 9.81

$3.69 ₡1,657

-29.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 SAR 4.77

$1.13 ₡507

12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$2.66 ₡1,191

-75.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 SAR 24.69

$5.18 ₡2,321

27.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$1.12 ₡504

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.39 SAR 140

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-48.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 SAR 10.13

$2.14 ₡958

26.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

$1.57 ₡703

17.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.14

$8.52 ₡3,823

53.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$1.52 ₡682

-57.24%

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

$45.2K SAR 169.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

109.32%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-38.30%

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

$106 SAR 397

$96.3 ₡43.2K

9.93%

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

$33.29 SAR 125

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-7.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 SAR 245

$53.6 ₡24.0K

21.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 SAR 203

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-24.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 SAR 49.70

$7.89 ₡3,539

67.81%

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

$423 SAR 1,589

$494 ₡221.6K

-14.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,007 SAR 30.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-32.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.84 SAR 157

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-22.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 SAR 202

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-2.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 SAR 361

$77.9 ₡34.9K

23.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 SAR 329

$79.6 ₡35.7K

10.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 SAR 2,127

$788 ₡353.4K

-28.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 SAR 1,386

$794 ₡356.2K

-53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 SAR 3,086

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-79.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 SAR 2,109

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-60.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,362 SAR 8,863

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-65.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,374 SAR 5,154

$1,224 ₡549.0K

12.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,543 SAR 9,541

$864 ₡387.3K

194.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

8.62

-35.73%

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

Last update for Unaizah: 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

Unaizah

$369 32.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 115% $425

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Unaizah

$204 18.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 9.2% $19

Groceries & Markets

Unaizah

$172 15.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 104% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Unaizah

$126 11.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.5% $5.7

Eating Out

Unaizah

$124 11%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 70.7% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Unaizah

$81 7.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 8.3% $6.7

Getting Around

Unaizah

$53 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 62.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $567 in Unaizah 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 194% higher in Unaizah, 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 $41.00 in Unaizah versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $352 – making Unaizah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Unaizah

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:12 1:12 AM

16:12 4:12 PM

9 h behind Unaizah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

163,729

4,912

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Unaizah Nosara 13,260 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Unaizah
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

Unaizah vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,130 in Unaizah, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,696 per month in Unaizah 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 Unaizah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 94% less in Unaizah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $423 per month in Unaizah and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Unaizah, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Unaizah 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 $1,130 in Unaizah 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 Unaizah. 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.