Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chon Buri and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Chon Buri: $813 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Chon Buri
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Chon Buri Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Chon Buri

🇹🇭 Thailand

$813

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Chon Buri versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Chon Buri $813
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,368 in Chon Buri versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Chon Buri $1,368
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,923 in Chon Buri versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Chon Buri $1,923
Nosara $3,818

Living in Chon Buri costs roughly 56% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chon Buri is 40% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ฿63.7

$12.35 ₡5,539

-84.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.42 ฿549

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-73.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 ฿252

$7.52 ₡3,373

0.13%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ฿59.9

$4.41 ₡1,978

-59.41%

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

$0.70 ฿23.53

$1.74 ₡780

-59.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.46

$1.31 ₡587

-74.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$3.28 ₡1,471

-46.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 ฿98.9

$4.47 ₡2,004

-33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿47.26

$1.56 ₡701

-9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ฿41.65

$3.02 ₡1,355

-58.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.92

$2.51 ₡1,125

-51.39%

Eggs

$1.86 ฿62.0

$3.57 ₡1,603

-47.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.28 ฿410

$7.43 ₡3,333

65.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.51 ฿83.8

$10.52 ₡4,717

-76.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 ฿335

$13.97 ₡6,265

-28.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 ฿119

$2.35 ₡1,052

51.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 ฿32.13

$1.61 ₡720

-40.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ฿82.0

$4.80 ₡2,152

-48.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.8

$1.61 ₡724

1.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 ฿66.1

$3.80 ₡1,703

-47.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ฿35.98

$3.69 ₡1,657

-70.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ฿25.12

$1.13 ₡507

-33.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.77

$2.66 ₡1,191

-84.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ฿146

$5.18 ₡2,321

-15.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 ฿472

$19.88 ₡8,916

-28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 ฿53.6

$2.90 ₡1,300

-44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ฿61.8

$3.63 ₡1,626

-49.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.19

$1.12 ₡504

-22.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 ฿78.1

$2.14 ₡958

9.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$1.57 ₡703

-2.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 ฿164

$8.52 ₡3,823

-42.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿43.30

$1.52 ₡682

-14.47%

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

$26.2K ฿875.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

21.21%

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

$22.6K ฿753.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-34.65%

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

$82.8 ฿2,766

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-14.05%

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

$9.21 ฿308

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-74.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.85 ฿764

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-57.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ฿1,561

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-34.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.39 ฿481

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-58.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ฿224

$7.89 ₡3,539

-15.08%

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

$729 ฿24.4K

$494 ₡221.6K

47.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿357.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-9.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$6.02 ฿201

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-88.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 ฿1,204

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-35.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ฿2,393

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.8 ฿1,763

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-33.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 ฿17.3K

$788 ₡353.4K

-34.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 ฿8,551

$794 ₡356.2K

-67.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 ฿46.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-64.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 ฿25.0K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,960 ฿65.5K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-71.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,556 ฿52.0K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

27.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ฿19.6K

$864 ₡387.3K

-32.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-65.20%

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

Last update for Chon Buri: 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

Chon Buri

$256 31.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 210% $538

Groceries & Markets

Chon Buri

$216 26.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 63.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chon Buri

$115 14.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 61.8% $71

Eating Out

Chon Buri

$78 9.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 171% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Chon Buri

$75 9.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 60.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chon Buri

$60 7.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 45.4% $27

Getting Around

Chon Buri

$14 * 1.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 545% $74

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 $519 in Chon Buri and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 48% 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: $16.00 in Chon Buri vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $352 per month, with Chon Buri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chon Buri

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

13:05 1:05 PM

13 h behind Chon Buri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,364

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

Chon Buri Nosara 17,320 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chon Buri
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

Chon Buri vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chon Buri wins on cost – living expenses run 126% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chon Buri the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 48% 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: $519 in Chon Buri versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $729 in Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $813 in Chon Buri versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chon Buri but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chon Buri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chon Buri delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $813 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chon Buri hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.