Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Batam and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Batam: $596 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Batam
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Batam Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Batam

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$596

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $596 in Batam versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Batam $596
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,010 in Batam versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Batam $1,010
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,424 in Batam versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Batam $1,424
Nosara $3,712

Living in Batam costs roughly 68% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Batam is 56% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$12.22 ₡5,509

-83.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.33 Rp 149.0K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-86.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 Rp 71.7K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-46.82%

Cappuccino

$2.12 Rp 37.9K

$4.31 ₡1,941

-50.81%

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

$0.65 Rp 11.6K

$1.72 ₡773

-62.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 Rp 5,617

$1.35 ₡608

-77.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 Rp 45.3K

$3.24 ₡1,459

-21.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Rp 65.5K

$4.48 ₡2,018

-18.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$1.57 ₡707

-26.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 Rp 19.8K

$3.17 ₡1,429

-64.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

$2.42 ₡1,091

-66.53%

Eggs

$1.24 Rp 22.1K

$3.57 ₡1,609

-65.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.40 Rp 132.4K

$7.43 ₡3,349

-0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.0K

$10.42 ₡4,697

-76.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 77.7K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-68.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.3K

$2.32 ₡1,044

-3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.61 ₡728

22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

$4.74 ₡2,138

-57.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.66 ₡747

-39.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 Rp 17.4K

$3.72 ₡1,679

-73.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$3.57 ₡1,611

-45.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 Rp 23.6K

$1.10 ₡497

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,951

$2.55 ₡1,149

-82.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

$4.95 ₡2,232

-44.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.91 Rp 248.9K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-30.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 Rp 30.4K

$2.79 ₡1,256

-39.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 Rp 43.7K

$3.53 ₡1,589

-30.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 Rp 6,667

$1.19 ₡537

-68.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 Rp 20.5K

$2.24 ₡1,011

-48.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 Rp 11.3K

$1.55 ₡701

-59.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 Rp 63.4K

$8.86 ₡3,993

-59.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.57 ₡708

-47.77%

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

$28.3K Rp 506.8M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

29.94%

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

$24.4K Rp 436.2M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-29.61%

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

$68.6 Rp 1.2M

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-26.57%

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

$4.08 Rp 72.9K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-88.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.00 Rp 411.5K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-55.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.70 Rp 477.7K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-62.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.69 Rp 101.8K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-83.94%

Cinema Ticket

$2.62 Rp 46.9K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-66.58%

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

$82.4 Rp 1.5M

$490 ₡220.7K

-83.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,273 Rp 58.6M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-72.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.39 Rp 561.6K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-41.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.43 Rp 329.8K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-66.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 Rp 1.2M

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.41 Rp 436.7K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-69.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 Rp 4.8M

$786 ₡354.3K

-65.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$780 ₡351.6K

-80.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 Rp 14.6M

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-78.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 Rp 8.9M

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-64.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$559 Rp 10.0M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-91.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 Rp 6.1M

$876 ₡395.0K

-60.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.17

8.62

52.78%

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

Last update for Batam: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Batam

$173 29.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 102% $177

Accommodation & Living

Batam

$148 25%

Nosara

$780 43% 426% $631

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Batam

$96 16.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 88.1% $84

Eating Out

Batam

$77 13%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 172% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Batam

$63 10.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 91.8% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Batam

$32 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 173% $55

Getting Around

Batam

$5.8 * 1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1400% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Batam and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 155% 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: $8.00 in Batam vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $350 per month, with Batam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Batam

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

19:53 7:53 PM

13 h behind Batam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,196,396

4,912

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

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).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Batam Nosara 18,380 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Batam
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

Batam vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Batam is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 208% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 155% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Batam versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $596 per month in Batam versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 208% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $596 in Batam versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Batam but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Batam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Batam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Batam 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.

Expats usually find Batam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.