Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaiyaphum and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaiyaphum: $915 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Chaiyaphum
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Chaiyaphum Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Chaiyaphum

🇹🇭 Thailand

$915

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Chaiyaphum versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Chaiyaphum $915
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,550 in Chaiyaphum versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Chaiyaphum $1,550
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,185 in Chaiyaphum versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Chaiyaphum $2,185
Nosara $3,818

Living in Chaiyaphum costs roughly 50% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chaiyaphum is 32% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.21 ฿40.48

$12.35 ₡5,539

-90.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.12 ฿1,207

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-40.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.79 ฿227

$7.52 ₡3,373

-9.71%

Cappuccino

$1.22 ฿40.66

$4.41 ₡1,978

-72.34%

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

$0.50 ฿16.83

$1.74 ₡780

-71.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.16

$1.31 ₡587

-72.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ฿87.9

$3.28 ₡1,471

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 ฿153

$4.47 ₡2,004

2.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿63.3

$1.56 ₡701

21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.10

$3.02 ₡1,355

-52.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ฿47.13

$2.51 ₡1,125

-43.82%

Eggs

$1.54 ฿51.6

$3.57 ₡1,603

-56.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.53 ฿586

$7.43 ₡3,333

135.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 ฿123

$10.52 ₡4,717

-64.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ฿441

$13.97 ₡6,265

-5.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.35 ₡1,052

61.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 ฿20.08

$1.61 ₡720

-62.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 ฿94.1

$4.80 ₡2,152

-41.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.3

$1.61 ₡724

17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.0

$3.80 ₡1,703

-54.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿49.52

$3.69 ₡1,657

-59.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ฿41.49

$1.13 ₡507

9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.52

$2.66 ₡1,191

-88.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.72 ฿158

$5.18 ₡2,321

-8.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 ฿498

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿61.2

$2.90 ₡1,300

-36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ฿109

$3.63 ₡1,626

-9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.95

$1.12 ₡504

-16.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$2.14 ₡958

-50.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 ฿40.91

$1.57 ₡703

-22.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 ฿203

$8.52 ₡3,823

-28.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ฿35.08

$1.52 ₡682

-30.92%

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

$31.7K ฿1.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

46.74%

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

$27.6K ฿922.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.05%

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

$43.17 ฿1,443

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-55.17%

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

$11.22 ฿375

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-68.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.99 ฿401

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-77.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 ฿1,579

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-34.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.22 ฿475

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-59.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 ฿252

$7.89 ₡3,539

-4.56%

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

$572 ฿19.1K

$494 ₡221.6K

15.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ฿561.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

41.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 ฿2,319

$53.9 ₡24.2K

28.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.28 ฿1,413

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-23.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 ฿3,181

$77.9 ₡34.9K

22.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ฿3,676

$79.6 ₡35.7K

38.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.6K

$788 ₡353.4K

-44.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ฿10.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-62.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 ฿46.2K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-64.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-49.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,921 ฿64.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-72.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,604 ฿53.6K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

31.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 ฿14.9K

$864 ₡387.3K

-48.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

8.62

-39.10%

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

Last update for Chaiyaphum: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chaiyaphum

$301 32.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 164% $493

Groceries & Markets

Chaiyaphum

$261 28.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 34.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Chaiyaphum

$143 15.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 15.8% $22

Eating Out

Chaiyaphum

$70 7.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 201% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chaiyaphum

$66 7.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 180% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Chaiyaphum

$62 6.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 40.2% $25

Getting Around

Chaiyaphum

$11 * 1.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 700% $76

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 $437 in Chaiyaphum and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 94% 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: $36.00 in Chaiyaphum vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $352 per month, with Chaiyaphum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chaiyaphum

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

13:55 1:55 PM

13 h behind Chaiyaphum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,436

4,912

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chaiyaphum Nosara 17,030 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chaiyaphum
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

Chaiyaphum vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaiyaphum is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 94% 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: $437 in Chaiyaphum versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $572 in Chaiyaphum versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chaiyaphum – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $915 in Chaiyaphum versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chaiyaphum but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chaiyaphum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chaiyaphum 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, Chaiyaphum 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 Chaiyaphum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.