Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dong Hoi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Dong Hoi: $750 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Dong Hoi
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Dong Hoi Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Dong Hoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$750

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $750 in Dong Hoi versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Dong Hoi $750
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,218 in Dong Hoi versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Dong Hoi $1,218
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,687 in Dong Hoi versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Dong Hoi $1,687
Nosara $3,818

Living in Dong Hoi costs roughly 59% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dong Hoi is 44% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₫53.3K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-83.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.93 ₫490.1K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-69.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.62 ₫93.7K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-51.86%

Cappuccino

$1.03 ₫26.6K

$4.41 ₡1,978

-76.64%

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

$0.34 ₫8,876

$1.74 ₡780

-80.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,276

$1.31 ₡587

-75.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$3.28 ₡1,471

-83.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₫58.7K

$4.47 ₡2,004

-49.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫41.0K

$1.56 ₡701

1.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₫22.2K

$3.02 ₡1,355

-71.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₫26.5K

$2.51 ₡1,125

-59.36%

Eggs

$1.50 ₫38.9K

$3.57 ₡1,603

-57.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 ₫333.0K

$7.43 ₡3,333

73.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₫85.6K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-68.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 ₫248.2K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-31.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₫66.7K

$2.35 ₡1,052

9.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.9K

$1.61 ₡720

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 ₫34.2K

$4.80 ₡2,152

-72.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ₫41.2K

$1.61 ₡724

-1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 ₫29.4K

$3.80 ₡1,703

-70.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ₫32.4K

$3.69 ₡1,657

-66.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.13 ₡507

-7.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 ₫40.5K

$5.18 ₡2,321

-69.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ₫198.3K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-61.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₫22.3K

$2.90 ₡1,300

-70.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₫54.5K

$3.63 ₡1,626

-42.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,844

$1.12 ₡504

-69.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.65 ₫172.1K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-90.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$2.14 ₡958

-51.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.57 ₡703

-64.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₫61.7K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-72.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₫24.4K

$1.52 ₡682

-38.16%

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

$30.8K ₫797.8M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

42.61%

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

$28.2K ₫728.8M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.44%

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

$66.2 ₫1.7M

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-31.29%

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

$6.21 ₫160.9K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-82.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.00 ₫207.2K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-85.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.13 ₫572.8K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-69.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 ₫204.3K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-77.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.09 ₫80.0K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-60.84%

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

$162 ₫4.2M

$494 ₡221.6K

-67.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ₫381.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

24.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.69 ₫1.2M

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-17.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.03 ₫725.7K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-49.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 ₫2.6M

$77.9 ₡34.9K

28.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 ₫2.1M

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₫10.6M

$788 ₡353.4K

-48.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₫7.1M

$794 ₡356.2K

-65.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 ₫19.6M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-80.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 ₫16.0M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-56.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₫74.7M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-58.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 ₫33.9M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

6.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 ₫10.6M

$864 ₡387.3K

-52.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-18.79%

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

Last update for Dong Hoi: 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

Dong Hoi

$274 36.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 190% $520

Groceries & Markets

Dong Hoi

$192 25.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 83.8% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Dong Hoi

$114 15.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 5.3% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dong Hoi

$80 10.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 131% $105

Eating Out

Dong Hoi

$50 6.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 328% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Dong Hoi

$28 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 209% $59

Getting Around

Dong Hoi

$12 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 635% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Dong Hoi and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 112% 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: $19.00 in Dong Hoi vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $352 per month, with Dong Hoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Dong Hoi

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

06:44 6:44 AM

13 h behind Dong Hoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,601

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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 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 VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dong Hoi Nosara 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Dong Hoi
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

Dong Hoi vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dong Hoi and Nosara differ by about 145% in total monthly costs ($750 vs $1,839 including rent). Dong Hoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 112% 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: $408 in Dong Hoi versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $750 per month in Dong Hoi versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dong Hoi runs roughly 992% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $750 in Dong Hoi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dong Hoi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Dong Hoi 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.

Safety-wise, Dong Hoi 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 Dong Hoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.