Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Urmia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Urmia: $413 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Urmia
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Urmia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Urmia

🇮🇷 Iran

$413

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $413 per month in Urmia vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Urmia $413
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $713 per month in Urmia vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Urmia $713
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,013 per month in Urmia vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Urmia $1,013
Nosara $3,818

Urmia is about 78% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Urmia sits 69% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.02 $5.02

$12.35 ₡5,539

-59.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.35 $24.35

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-60.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.07 $3.07

$7.52 ₡3,373

-59.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 $1.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

Cappuccino

$1.08 $1.08

$4.41 ₡1,978

-75.51%

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

$0.74 $0.74

$1.74 ₡780

-57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 $0.45

$1.31 ₡587

-65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$1.56 ₡701

-60.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 $0.47

$3.02 ₡1,355

-84.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.51 ₡1,125

-2.79%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

$3.57 ₡1,603

-65.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$7.43 ₡3,333

-41.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$10.52 ₡4,717

-76.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$13.97 ₡6,265

-53.76%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.35 ₡1,052

-60.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.61 ₡720

-8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 $0.73

$4.80 ₡2,152

-84.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.61 ₡724

-57.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$3.80 ₡1,703

-86.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$3.69 ₡1,657

-85.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$1.13 ₡507

-53.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 $0.24

$2.66 ₡1,191

-90.98%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.82 $0.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.12 $1.12

$5.18 ₡2,321

-78.38%

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)

$0.14 $0.14

$1.12 ₡504

-87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.62 $9.62

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-86.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 $0.42

$2.14 ₡958

-80.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$1.57 ₡703

-80.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$8.52 ₡3,823

-69.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$1.52 ₡682

-94.08%

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

$49.4K $49.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

128.74%

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

$44.3K $44.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

28.40%

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

$12.93 $12.93

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-86.57%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-95.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.74 $3.74

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-93.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.61 $9.61

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-86.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.07 $13.07

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-62.56%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$7.89 ₡3,539

-75.29%

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

$109 $109

$494 ₡221.6K

-77.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,701 $2,701

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-77.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.64 $22.64

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-58.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 $27.85

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-49.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 $83.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.03 $33.03

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-58.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 $172

$788 ₡353.4K

-78.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 $129

$794 ₡356.2K

-83.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 $324

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-91.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 $264

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-81.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$694 $694

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-89.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$583 $583

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-52.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$275 $275

$864 ₡387.3K

-68.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

8.62

181.90%

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

Last update for Urmia: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Urmia

$129 31.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 516% $665

Groceries & Markets

Urmia

$98 23.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 261% $255

Clothing & Footwear

Urmia

$75 18.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 59.4% $45

Eating Out

Urmia

$67 16.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 215% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Urmia

$18 4.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 921% $168

Sport & Entertainment

Urmia

$14 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 547% $74

Getting Around

Urmia

$12 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 617% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $172 in Urmia 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 214% 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 $24.00 in Urmia versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $98.0 vs $352 – making Urmia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Urmia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

13:38 1:38 PM

9 h 30 min behind Urmia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

736,224

4,912

💱 Currency

USD USD

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Urmia Nosara 12,660 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Urmia
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Urmia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $413 in Urmia, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 345% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $619 per month in Urmia 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 Urmia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 655% less in Urmia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $109 per month in Urmia 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 Urmia, where all-in costs run around $413, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Urmia 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 $413 in Urmia 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 Urmia. 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.