Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dili and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Dili: $1,574 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
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Dili Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,574 per month in Dili vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Dili $1,574
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,466 per month in Dili vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Dili $2,466
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,359 per month in Dili vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Dili $3,359
Nosara $3,712

Dili is about 14% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dili and Nosara sit above the global median – Dili by 17%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 $5.13

$12.22 ₡5,509

-58.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.43 $42.43

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-29.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 $7.91

$7.54 ₡3,399

4.91%

Cappuccino

$4.18 $4.18

$4.31 ₡1,941

-3.02%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$1.72 ₡773

-5.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.35 ₡608

104.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.24 ₡1,459

-20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.48 ₡2,018

-0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.57 ₡707

50.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.17 ₡1,429

-20.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.42 ₡1,091

-60.33%

Eggs

$2.68 $2.68

$3.57 ₡1,609

-24.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$7.43 ₡3,349

-72.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$10.42 ₡4,697

-9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$13.66 ₡6,156

15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.32 ₡1,044

41.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.61 ₡728

14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$4.74 ₡2,138

-47.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.66 ₡747

36.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$3.72 ₡1,679

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$3.57 ₡1,611

-67.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.10 ₡497

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.55 ₡1,149

-61.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.95 ₡2,232

-37.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 $11.95

$20.01 ₡9,020

-40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.79 ₡1,256

-21.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.53 ₡1,589

-18.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$1.19 ₡537

-79.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 $29.78

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-58.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.24 ₡1,011

57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.55 ₡701

130.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 $19.75

$8.86 ₡3,993

122.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.57 ₡708

-8.28%

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

$18.0K $18.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-17.52%

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

$16.7K $16.7K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-51.72%

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

$152 $152

$93.5 ₡42.1K

62.39%

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

$27.49 $27.49

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-21.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.46 $49.46

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-30.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 $6.17

$7.84 ₡3,535

-21.30%

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

$1,477 $1,477

$490 ₡220.7K

201.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

35.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$53.5 ₡24.1K

13.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 $30.46

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-45.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$79.3 ₡35.7K

0.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$786 ₡354.3K

5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 $759

$780 ₡351.6K

-2.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,739 $2,739

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-29.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 $1,504

$1,407 ₡634.4K

6.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,656 $3,656

$876 ₡395.0K

317.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

8.62

-37.70%

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

Last update for Dili: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dili

$759 47.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 2.7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Dili

$275 17.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 27.3% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dili

$179 * 11.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 0.5% $0.8

Eating Out

Dili

$154 9.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 35.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Dili

$104 6.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 15.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Dili

$62 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 40.9% $25

Getting Around

Dili

$52 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 66.6% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $831 in Dili versus $786 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 317% higher in Dili, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Dili versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $350 – making Dili the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇱 Dili

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

19:54 7:54 PM

15 h behind Dili

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,323 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dili Nosara 16,590 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Dili
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

Dili vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,361 per month in Dili and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dili, 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 $42.00 in Dili and $60.0 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 $1,574 in Dili and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dili, where all-in costs run around $1,574, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Dili it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dili – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Dili. 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.