Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gampaha and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $450 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
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Gampaha Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$450

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $450 in Gampaha versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Gampaha $450
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Gampaha versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Gampaha $765
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,079 in Gampaha versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Gampaha $1,079
Nosara $3,818

Living in Gampaha costs roughly 76% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gampaha is 67% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.81 LKR 600

$12.35 ₡5,539

-85.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.00 LKR 5,961

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-70.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 LKR 1,723

$7.52 ₡3,373

-30.85%

Cappuccino

$1.25 LKR 414

$4.41 ₡1,978

-71.66%

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

$0.54 LKR 178

$1.74 ₡780

-68.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.7

$1.31 ₡587

-79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 LKR 705

$3.28 ₡1,471

-35.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 LKR 1,007

$4.47 ₡2,004

-31.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 538

$1.56 ₡701

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 LKR 144

$3.02 ₡1,355

-85.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$2.51 ₡1,125

-70.92%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 569

$3.57 ₡1,603

-51.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.52 LKR 4,480

$7.43 ₡3,333

81.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 LKR 1,312

$10.52 ₡4,717

-62.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 LKR 2,394

$13.97 ₡6,265

-48.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 LKR 1,961

$2.35 ₡1,052

151.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$1.61 ₡720

-49.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,461

$4.80 ₡2,152

-8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 420

$1.61 ₡724

-21.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 LKR 318

$3.80 ₡1,703

-74.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 257

$3.69 ₡1,657

-78.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 LKR 95.7

$1.13 ₡507

-74.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 LKR 104

$2.66 ₡1,191

-87.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 LKR 3,294

$5.18 ₡2,321

91.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 LKR 4,231

$19.88 ₡8,916

-35.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 LKR 457

$2.90 ₡1,300

-52.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 LKR 784

$3.63 ₡1,626

-34.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 103

$1.12 ₡504

-72.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 LKR 95.8

$2.14 ₡958

-86.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 120

$1.57 ₡703

-77.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 297

$8.52 ₡3,823

-89.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 LKR 390

$1.52 ₡682

-22.37%

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

$29.9K LKR 9.9M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

38.28%

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

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

16.43%

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

$27.63 LKR 9,153

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-71.31%

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

$2.98 LKR 985

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-91.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.84 LKR 3,591

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-79.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.56 LKR 2,504

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-89.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 LKR 1,472

$7.89 ₡3,539

-43.73%

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

$15.07 LKR 4,991

$494 ₡221.6K

-96.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$122 LKR 40.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-98.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.88 LKR 5,924

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-66.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.90 LKR 2,948

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-83.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 LKR 20.3K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-21.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.29 LKR 8,044

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-69.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.4 LKR 29.6K

$788 ₡353.4K

-88.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.5 LKR 18.4K

$794 ₡356.2K

-93.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 LKR 99.8K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-92.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 LKR 55.4K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-88.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$225 LKR 74.4K

$864 ₡387.3K

-73.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

16.01%

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

Last update for Gampaha: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gampaha

$217 48.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 62% $135

Eating Out

Gampaha

$65 14.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 226% $147

Accommodation & Living

Gampaha

$55 12.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 1332% $739

Clothing & Footwear

Gampaha

$51 11.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 137% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gampaha

$41 9.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 348% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Gampaha

$16 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 431% $71

Getting Around

Gampaha

$3.3 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 2508% $84

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 $89.4 in Gampaha and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 284% 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: $18.00 in Gampaha vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $352 per month, with Gampaha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

09:55 9:55 AM

11 h 30 min behind Gampaha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 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 LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gampaha Nosara 17,540 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Gampaha
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

Gampaha vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gampaha and Nosara differ by about 309% in total monthly costs ($450 vs $1,839 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 284% 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: $89.4 in Gampaha versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $15.07 in Gampaha 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 Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $450 in Gampaha versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha 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, Gampaha 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 Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 309% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.