Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandung: $641 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bandung
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$641
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $641 in Bandung versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Bandung $641
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $947 in Bandung versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Bandung $947
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,252 in Bandung versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Bandung $1,252
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Bandung costs roughly 65% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bandung is 52% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bandung
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.42 Rp 25.5K
$12.22 ₡5,509
-88.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.13 Rp 252.7K
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-76.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.31 Rp 59.1K
$7.54 ₡3,399
-56.10%
Cappuccino
$1.48 Rp 26.5K
$4.31 ₡1,941
-65.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 Rp 8,404
$1.72 ₡773
-72.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 Rp 3,924
$1.35 ₡608
-83.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.09 Rp 55.2K
$3.24 ₡1,459
-4.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 Rp 53.6K
$4.48 ₡2,018
-33.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bandung
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 Rp 20.2K
$1.57 ₡707
-28.03%
White Bread (500g)
$0.99 Rp 17.7K
$3.17 ₡1,429
-68.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.88 Rp 15.7K
$2.42 ₡1,091
-63.64%
Eggs
$1.47 Rp 26.3K
$3.57 ₡1,609
-58.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.36 Rp 131.8K
$7.43 ₡3,349
-0.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.81 Rp 50.3K
$10.42 ₡4,697
-73.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.75 Rp 138.7K
$13.66 ₡6,156
-43.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 39.1K
$2.32 ₡1,044
-5.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 Rp 19.1K
$1.61 ₡728
-33.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.50 Rp 26.8K
$4.74 ₡2,138
-68.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.96 Rp 17.1K
$1.66 ₡747
-42.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 Rp 19.7K
$3.72 ₡1,679
-70.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.95 Rp 34.8K
$3.57 ₡1,611
-45.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 Rp 12.5K
$1.10 ₡497
-36.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,734
$2.55 ₡1,149
-83.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.62 Rp 46.9K
$4.95 ₡2,232
-47.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.77 Rp 407.3K
$20.01 ₡9,020
13.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 Rp 32.6K
$2.79 ₡1,256
-34.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 Rp 56.9K
$3.53 ₡1,589
-9.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Bandung
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,792
$1.19 ₡537
-77.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.61 Rp 171.9K
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-86.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 Rp 15.3K
$2.24 ₡1,011
-61.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.55 Rp 9,779
$1.55 ₡701
-64.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.23 Rp 39.8K
$8.86 ₡3,993
-74.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 Rp 16.1K
$1.57 ₡708
-42.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K Rp 376.6M
$21.8K ₡9.8M
-3.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.2K Rp 523.2M
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-15.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandung
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.58 Rp 600.7K
$93.5 ₡42.1K
-64.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.25 Rp 76.0K
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-87.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.25 Rp 344.4K
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-62.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bandung
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.05 Rp 322.9K
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-74.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.00 Rp 107.4K
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-83.07%
Cinema Ticket
$2.84 Rp 50.9K
$7.84 ₡3,535
-63.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bandung
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$95.7 Rp 1.7M
$490 ₡220.7K
-80.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,240 Rp 147.4M
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-30.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bandung
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.08 Rp 699.1K
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-27.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.18 Rp 575.8K
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-42.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.5 Rp 1.4M
$79.3 ₡35.7K
-3.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.5 Rp 1.2M
$78.9 ₡35.6K
-11.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bandung
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$214 Rp 3.8M
$786 ₡354.3K
-72.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$178 Rp 3.2M
$780 ₡351.6K
-77.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$381 Rp 6.8M
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-90.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$266 Rp 4.8M
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-81.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$725 Rp 13.0M
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-89.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$312 Rp 5.6M
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-73.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bandung
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$281 Rp 5.0M
$876 ₡395.0K
-67.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.38
8.62
32.02%

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

Last update for Bandung: 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
Bandung
$194
Nosara
$350 79.9% $155
Accommodation & Living
Bandung
$178
Nosara
$780 337% $601
Clothing & Footwear
Bandung
$98
Nosara
$120 23.1% $23
Eating Out
Bandung
$63
Nosara
$209 231% $146
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandung
$57
Nosara
$180 215% $123
Sport & Entertainment
Bandung
$24
Nosara
$87 267% $63
Getting Around
Bandung
$14
Nosara
$87 509% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $214 in Bandung and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 212% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $14.00 in Bandung vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $350 per month, with Bandung cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bandung
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:26 2:26 PM
01:26 1:26 AM
13 h behind Bandung
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,390,120
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bandung Nosara 18,520 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bandung
  • 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
Bandung vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bandung or Nosara?
Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 187% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bandung or in Nosara?
On paper, salaries run 212% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bandung compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $214 in Bandung versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Bandung or in Nosara?
Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Bandung and in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bandung or in Nosara?
At $641 in Bandung versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bandung or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $641 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.
How safe is Bandung compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Bandung and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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