Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Binjai and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Binjai: $638 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Binjai
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Binjai Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Binjai

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$638

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $638 in Binjai versus $1,846 in Nosara.

Binjai $638
Nosara $1,846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,029 in Binjai versus $2,833 in Nosara.

Binjai $1,029
Nosara $2,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,421 in Binjai versus $3,820 in Nosara.

Binjai $1,421
Nosara $3,820

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Binjai is 53% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 Rp 32.7K

$12.36 ₡5,575

-85.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.06 Rp 273.7K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-75.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.81 Rp 51.1K

$7.88 ₡3,557

-64.34%

Cappuccino

$1.33 Rp 24.2K

$4.40 ₡1,986

-69.77%

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

$0.48 Rp 8,725

$1.72 ₡776

-72.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 Rp 3,646

$1.34 ₡603

-85.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 Rp 45.2K

$3.34 ₡1,505

-25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 Rp 56.7K

$4.54 ₡2,048

-31.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 Rp 18.9K

$1.64 ₡739

-36.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$3.16 ₡1,426

-70.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.6K

$2.39 ₡1,080

-66.53%

Eggs

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

$3.47 ₡1,564

-63.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.22 Rp 113.1K

$7.13 ₡3,217

-12.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 Rp 57.2K

$10.32 ₡4,655

-69.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 Rp 136.0K

$13.97 ₡6,302

-46.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 Rp 44.2K

$2.29 ₡1,031

6.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.7K

$1.62 ₡731

-19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 Rp 32.2K

$4.81 ₡2,169

-63.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

$1.68 ₡758

-25.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

$3.91 ₡1,765

-64.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.6K

$3.63 ₡1,640

-46.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.13 ₡509

-28.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 6,999

$2.63 ₡1,188

-85.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 Rp 44.2K

$5.02 ₡2,267

-51.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 Rp 392.4K

$19.71 ₡8,893

9.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 Rp 36.6K

$2.91 ₡1,314

-30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 Rp 58.1K

$3.54 ₡1,597

-9.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,857

$1.21 ₡545

-82.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.00 Rp 181.7K

$73.8 ₡33.3K

-86.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,527

$2.15 ₡969

-78.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,525

$1.63 ₡738

-77.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 Rp 57.7K

$8.77 ₡3,958

-63.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$1.55 ₡700

-39.35%

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

$20.3K Rp 369.8M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-39.96%

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

$30.1K Rp 547.2M

$38.5K ₡17.4M

-21.75%

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

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

$95.2 ₡43.0K

-27.86%

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

$3.91 Rp 71.0K

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-89.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.11 Rp 329.1K

$52.0 ₡23.5K

-65.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.19 Rp 367.0K

$67.6 ₡30.5K

-70.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.73 Rp 158.7K

$35.55 ₡16.0K

-75.44%

Cinema Ticket

$2.88 Rp 52.4K

$7.54 ₡3,404

-61.80%

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

$105 Rp 1.9M

$496 ₡224.0K

-78.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 Rp 146.5M

$11.8K ₡5.3M

-31.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.93 Rp 780.3K

$55.1 ₡24.9K

-22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.03 Rp 491.3K

$56.1 ₡25.3K

-51.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 Rp 1.5M

$77.8 ₡35.1K

8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 Rp 1.1M

$79.1 ₡35.7K

-20.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 Rp 3.7M

$817 ₡368.9K

-75.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$806 ₡363.6K

-80.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 Rp 9.0M

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-87.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 Rp 7.5M

$1,429 ₡644.9K

-71.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,207 Rp 21.9M

$7,068 ₡3.2M

-82.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$752 Rp 13.7M

$1,197 ₡540.1K

-37.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

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 Binjai: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Binjai

$194 30.4%

Nosara

$351 19% 81.2% $157

Accommodation & Living

Binjai

$156 24.5%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 416% $649

Clothing & Footwear

Binjai

$98 15.3%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 23.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Binjai

$91 14.2%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 102% $93

Eating Out

Binjai

$60 9.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 254% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Binjai

$26 4.1%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 218% $57

Getting Around

Binjai

$13 2.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 578% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Binjai and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Binjai vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $351 per month, with Binjai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Binjai

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

15:46 3:46 PM

13 h behind Binjai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,901

4,912

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Binjai Nosara 18,440 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Binjai
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

Binjai vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binjai is about 65% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $956 in Binjai and $2,769 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $204 in Binjai versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $638 per month in Binjai versus $1,846 in Nosara – Binjai is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Binjai runs roughly 86% less than in Nosara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $638 in Binjai versus $1,846 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Binjai but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Binjai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Binjai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.