Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bekasi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bekasi: $665 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bekasi
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$665
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $665 in Bekasi versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Bekasi $665
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,073 in Bekasi versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Bekasi $1,073
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,480 in Bekasi versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Bekasi $1,480
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Bekasi costs roughly 64% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bekasi is 51% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bekasi
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.72 Rp 48.9K
$12.35 ₡5,539
-77.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.10 Rp 253.9K
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-76.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.41 Rp 61.4K
$7.52 ₡3,373
-54.65%
Cappuccino
$1.47 Rp 26.4K
$4.41 ₡1,978
-66.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,309
$1.74 ₡780
-73.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 Rp 3,940
$1.31 ₡587
-83.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 Rp 43.9K
$3.28 ₡1,471
-25.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 Rp 68.7K
$4.47 ₡2,004
-14.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bekasi
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 Rp 19.9K
$1.56 ₡701
-29.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 Rp 20.2K
$3.02 ₡1,355
-62.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$2.51 ₡1,125
-66.14%
Eggs
$1.64 Rp 29.6K
$3.57 ₡1,603
-54.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.52 Rp 171.4K
$7.43 ₡3,333
28.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.94 Rp 53.0K
$10.52 ₡4,717
-72.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.02 Rp 144.4K
$13.97 ₡6,265
-42.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.74 Rp 49.3K
$2.35 ₡1,052
16.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 Rp 24.7K
$1.61 ₡720
-14.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 Rp 45.0K
$4.80 ₡2,152
-47.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 Rp 23.8K
$1.61 ₡724
-18.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.34 Rp 24.1K
$3.80 ₡1,703
-64.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.11 Rp 37.9K
$3.69 ₡1,657
-42.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
$1.13 ₡507
-16.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 Rp 7,281
$2.66 ₡1,191
-84.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.74 Rp 49.2K
$5.18 ₡2,321
-47.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 400.3K
$19.88 ₡8,916
11.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 Rp 36.5K
$2.90 ₡1,300
-30.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 Rp 56.2K
$3.63 ₡1,626
-14.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Bekasi
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 Rp 6,217
$1.12 ₡504
-68.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.05 Rp 199.0K
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-84.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$2.14 ₡958
-61.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.44 Rp 7,889
$1.57 ₡703
-71.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 Rp 40.7K
$8.52 ₡3,823
-73.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 Rp 15.5K
$1.52 ₡682
-43.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K Rp 375.2M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-3.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K Rp 578.4M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-6.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bekasi
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.4 Rp 1.1M
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-34.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.94 Rp 106.9K
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-83.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.24 Rp 346.3K
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-64.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bekasi
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.55 Rp 280.0K
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-78.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.20 Rp 111.5K
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-82.24%
Cinema Ticket
$3.36 Rp 60.6K
$7.89 ₡3,539
-57.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bekasi
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$128 Rp 2.3M
$494 ₡221.6K
-74.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,333 Rp 150.0M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-29.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bekasi
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.3 Rp 1.0M
$53.9 ₡24.2K
8.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.38 Rp 582.8K
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-41.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.9 Rp 1.4M
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-1.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.1 Rp 1.7M
$79.6 ₡35.7K
18.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bekasi
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$206 Rp 3.7M
$788 ₡353.4K
-73.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$133 Rp 2.4M
$794 ₡356.2K
-83.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$457 Rp 8.2M
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-88.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$358 Rp 6.4M
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-74.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$585 Rp 10.5M
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-91.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$902 Rp 16.2M
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-26.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bekasi
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$366 Rp 6.6M
$864 ₡387.3K
-57.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
8.62
9.74%

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

Last update for Bekasi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bekasi
$216
Nosara
$352 63.2% $136
Accommodation & Living
Bekasi
$133
Nosara
$794 498% $662
Clothing & Footwear
Bekasi
$118
Nosara
$120 2% $2.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bekasi
$89
Nosara
$186 110% $97
Eating Out
Bekasi
$72
Nosara
$212 194% $140
Sport & Entertainment
Bekasi
$22
Nosara
$87 292% $65
Getting Around
Bekasi
$15
Nosara
$87 464% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $206 in Bekasi and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 136% 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 Bekasi vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $352 per month, with Bekasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bekasi
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
18:52 6:52 PM
05:52 5:52 AM
13 h behind Bekasi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,334,871
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bekasi Nosara 18,560 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bekasi
  • 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
Bekasi vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bekasi and in Nosara?
Bekasi and Nosara differ by about 177% in total monthly costs ($665 vs $1,839 including rent). Bekasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 136% 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 do apartment prices compare in Bekasi and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $206 in Bekasi versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Bekasi – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bekasi or Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $665 per month in Bekasi versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $665 in Bekasi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bekasi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bekasi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bekasi and Nosara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Bekasi or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bekasi 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.
Where should expats move: Bekasi or Nosara?
Expats usually find Bekasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Bekasi vs other spots: cost of living compared

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