Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yanbu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Yanbu: $1,031 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Yanbu
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Yanbu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Yanbu

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,031

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Yanbu vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Yanbu $1,031
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,633 per month in Yanbu vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Yanbu $1,633
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,236 per month in Yanbu vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Yanbu $2,236
Nosara $3,818

Yanbu is about 44% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Yanbu sits 24% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.26 SAR 23.48

$12.35 ₡5,539

-49.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.63 SAR 141

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-38.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 SAR 24.87

$7.52 ₡3,373

-11.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

Cappuccino

$3.89 SAR 14.61

$4.41 ₡1,978

-11.79%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$1.74 ₡780

-50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 SAR 0.76

$1.31 ₡587

-84.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

$1.56 ₡701

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.47

$3.02 ₡1,355

-69.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$2.51 ₡1,125

-13.94%

Eggs

$2.41 SAR 9.04

$3.57 ₡1,603

-32.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 SAR 24.44

$7.43 ₡3,333

-12.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.27 SAR 31.02

$10.52 ₡4,717

-21.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 SAR 48.36

$13.97 ₡6,265

-7.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 SAR 7.68

$2.35 ₡1,052

-12.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

$1.61 ₡720

8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$4.80 ₡2,152

-68.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$1.61 ₡724

4.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$3.80 ₡1,703

-70.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$3.69 ₡1,657

-71.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.13 ₡507

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.03

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 SAR 24.51

$5.18 ₡2,321

26.06%

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)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$1.12 ₡504

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.72 SAR 138

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-49.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 SAR 11.76

$2.14 ₡958

46.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 SAR 3.12

$1.57 ₡703

-47.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.99 SAR 52.5

$8.52 ₡3,823

64.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.52 ₡682

-61.84%

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

$46.8K SAR 175.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

116.37%

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

$21.6K SAR 80.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-37.56%

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

$90.7 SAR 340

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-5.78%

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

$22.55 SAR 84.6

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-37.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 SAR 258

$53.6 ₡24.0K

28.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 SAR 370

$71.6 ₡32.1K

37.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.18 SAR 98.2

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-25.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 SAR 44.91

$7.89 ₡3,539

51.71%

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

$268 SAR 1,007

$494 ₡221.6K

-45.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,785 SAR 14.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-68.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 SAR 279

$53.9 ₡24.2K

38.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 SAR 213

$55.4 ₡24.8K

2.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 SAR 368

$77.9 ₡34.9K

25.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 SAR 352

$79.6 ₡35.7K

17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$308 SAR 1,156

$788 ₡353.4K

-60.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 SAR 810

$794 ₡356.2K

-72.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 SAR 2,261

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-84.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 SAR 1,592

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-70.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,369 SAR 8,890

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-65.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 SAR 4,763

$1,224 ₡549.0K

3.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,510 SAR 13.2K

$864 ₡387.3K

306.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

8.62

-37.47%

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

Last update for Yanbu: 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

Yanbu

$216 21%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 268% $578

Groceries & Markets

Yanbu

$196 19%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 79.8% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yanbu

$182 17.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 2.1% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Yanbu

$145 14.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Yanbu

$123 11.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 28.7% $35

Eating Out

Yanbu

$121 11.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 75.2% $91

Getting Around

Yanbu

$48 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 80.7% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $308 in Yanbu 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 306% higher in Yanbu, 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 $38.00 in Yanbu versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $352 – making Yanbu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Yanbu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

04:42 4:42 AM

9 h behind Yanbu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

233,236

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

Yanbu Nosara 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Yanbu
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

Yanbu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,031 in Yanbu, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Yanbu 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 Yanbu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 98% less in Yanbu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $268 per month in Yanbu and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yanbu, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Yanbu 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 $1,031 in Yanbu 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 Yanbu. 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.