Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buon Ma Thuot and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Buon Ma Thuot: $757 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Buon Ma Thuot
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Buon Ma Thuot Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Buon Ma Thuot

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$757

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $757 per month in Buon Ma Thuot vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Buon Ma Thuot $757
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,197 per month in Buon Ma Thuot vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Buon Ma Thuot $1,197
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,637 per month in Buon Ma Thuot vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Buon Ma Thuot $1,637
Nosara $3,818

Buon Ma Thuot is about 59% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Buon Ma Thuot sits 44% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.03 ₫52.6K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-83.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.39 ₫294.9K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-81.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.31 ₫111.5K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-42.69%

Cappuccino

$1.00 ₫25.8K

$4.41 ₡1,978

-77.32%

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

$0.36 ₫9,357

$1.74 ₡780

-79.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,617

$1.31 ₡587

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 ₫33.2K

$3.28 ₡1,471

-60.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$4.47 ₡2,004

-70.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ₫38.4K

$1.56 ₡701

-5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$3.02 ₡1,355

-63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$2.51 ₡1,125

-60.56%

Eggs

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$3.57 ₡1,603

-57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 ₫289.3K

$7.43 ₡3,333

50.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₫98.6K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-63.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 ₫260.0K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-28.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 ₫79.5K

$2.35 ₡1,052

30.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ₫28.1K

$1.61 ₡720

-32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.7K

$4.80 ₡2,152

-72.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ₫31.7K

$1.61 ₡724

-24.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.8K

$3.80 ₡1,703

-72.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$3.69 ₡1,657

-69.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₫16.6K

$1.13 ₡507

-43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.6K

$5.18 ₡2,321

-73.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 ₫309.3K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-39.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$2.90 ₡1,300

-69.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₫42.3K

$3.63 ₡1,626

-55.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,256

$1.12 ₡504

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.68 ₫172.9K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-90.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₫19.9K

$2.14 ₡958

-64.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$1.57 ₡703

-64.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₫62.7K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-71.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.2K

$1.52 ₡682

-40.79%

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

$30.7K ₫795.2M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

42.15%

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

$30.3K ₫784.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-12.22%

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

$75.7 ₫2.0M

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-21.37%

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

$5.69 ₫147.2K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-84.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.71 ₫225.4K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-83.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.98 ₫568.9K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-69.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.82 ₫202.4K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-77.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.01 ₫77.9K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-61.85%

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

$162 ₫4.2M

$494 ₡221.6K

-67.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ₫316.4M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

3.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 ₫1.2M

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-15.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.78 ₫693.3K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-51.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 ₫2.2M

$77.9 ₡34.9K

8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₫10.7M

$788 ₡353.4K

-47.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₫7.0M

$794 ₡356.2K

-65.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 ₫19.5M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-80.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 ₫15.7M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-57.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,867 ₫74.2M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-58.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,326 ₫34.3M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

8.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.46

8.62

-1.86%

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

Last update for Buon Ma Thuot: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buon Ma Thuot

$271 35.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 193% $523

Groceries & Markets

Buon Ma Thuot

$198 26.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 78.1% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Buon Ma Thuot

$106 14%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 13.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buon Ma Thuot

$90 11.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 106% $96

Eating Out

Buon Ma Thuot

$53 7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 300% $159

Sport & Entertainment

Buon Ma Thuot

$28 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 212% $59

Getting Around

Buon Ma Thuot

$11 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 659% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Buon Ma Thuot 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Buon Ma Thuot versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $352 – making Buon Ma Thuot the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Buon Ma Thuot

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

04:42 4:42 AM

13 h behind Buon Ma Thuot

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

245,951

4,912

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 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).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buon Ma Thuot Nosara 17,080 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Buon Ma Thuot
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

Buon Ma Thuot vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $757 in Buon Ma Thuot, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 143% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,136 per month in Buon Ma Thuot 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 Buon Ma Thuot, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Buon Ma Thuot and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $757 in Buon Ma Thuot and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 143%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Buon Ma Thuot, where all-in costs run around $757, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Buon Ma Thuot 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 $757 in Buon Ma Thuot 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 Buon Ma Thuot. 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.