Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jakarta and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Jakarta: $793 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Jakarta
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$793
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $793 per month in Jakarta vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Jakarta $793
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,283 per month in Jakarta vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Jakarta $1,283
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,772 per month in Jakarta vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Jakarta $1,772
  • Nosara $3,712

Jakarta is about 57% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jakarta sits 41% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jakarta
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.63 Rp 47.1K
$12.22 ₡5,509
-78.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.93 Rp 302.9K
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-71.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.33 Rp 59.5K
$7.54 ₡3,399
-55.84%
Cappuccino
$2.00 Rp 35.8K
$4.31 ₡1,941
-53.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,775
$1.72 ₡773
-75.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 Rp 4,472
$1.35 ₡608
-81.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.57 Rp 45.9K
$3.24 ₡1,459
-20.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.85 Rp 68.9K
$4.48 ₡2,018
-14.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jakarta
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 Rp 25.5K
$1.57 ₡707
-9.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 Rp 19.4K
$3.17 ₡1,429
-65.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.91 Rp 16.2K
$2.42 ₡1,091
-62.40%
Eggs
$1.77 Rp 31.7K
$3.57 ₡1,609
-50.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.22 Rp 164.9K
$7.43 ₡3,349
24.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.11 Rp 55.6K
$10.42 ₡4,697
-70.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.78 Rp 139.1K
$13.66 ₡6,156
-43.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 Rp 51.4K
$2.32 ₡1,044
23.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 Rp 23.5K
$1.61 ₡728
-18.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 Rp 44.6K
$4.74 ₡2,138
-47.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.39 Rp 24.9K
$1.66 ₡747
-16.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.38 Rp 24.8K
$3.72 ₡1,679
-62.90%
Onion (1kg)
$2.10 Rp 37.6K
$3.57 ₡1,611
-41.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 Rp 16.8K
$1.10 ₡497
-14.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,105
$2.55 ₡1,149
-80.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.80 Rp 50.1K
$4.95 ₡2,232
-43.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.83 Rp 372.7K
$20.01 ₡9,020
4.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 Rp 36.7K
$2.79 ₡1,256
-26.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 Rp 54.4K
$3.53 ₡1,589
-13.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Jakarta
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,809
$1.19 ₡537
-77.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.86 Rp 212.1K
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-83.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.50 Rp 8,982
$2.24 ₡1,011
-77.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 Rp 5,888
$1.55 ₡701
-78.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.42 Rp 61.2K
$8.86 ₡3,993
-61.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.87 Rp 15.6K
$1.57 ₡708
-44.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K Rp 496.8M
$21.8K ₡9.8M
27.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.6K Rp 583.5M
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-5.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jakarta
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 Rp 1.9M
$93.5 ₡42.1K
13.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.04 Rp 108.0K
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-82.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.04 Rp 340.7K
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-63.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jakarta
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.65 Rp 458.8K
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-64.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.65 Rp 244.3K
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-61.48%
Cinema Ticket
$3.29 Rp 58.8K
$7.84 ₡3,535
-58.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jakarta
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$153 Rp 2.7M
$490 ₡220.7K
-68.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,270 Rp 147.9M
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-30.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jakarta
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.7 Rp 1.0M
$53.5 ₡24.1K
9.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.37 Rp 507.5K
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-49.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.9 Rp 1.3M
$79.3 ₡35.7K
-10.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 Rp 1.9M
$78.9 ₡35.6K
34.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jakarta
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$370 Rp 6.6M
$786 ₡354.3K
-52.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$200 Rp 3.6M
$780 ₡351.6K
-74.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,155 Rp 20.7M
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-70.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$556 Rp 10.0M
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-60.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,023 Rp 54.1M
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-56.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,445 Rp 25.9M
$1,201 ₡541.3K
20.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jakarta
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$449 Rp 8.0M
$876 ₡395.0K
-48.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
8.62
9.74%

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

Last update for Jakarta: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Jakarta
$218
Nosara
$350 60.5% $132
Accommodation & Living
Jakarta
$200
Nosara
$780 289% $580
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jakarta
$131
Nosara
$180 37.5% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Jakarta
$119
Nosara
$120 1.4% $1.7
Eating Out
Jakarta
$78
Nosara
$209 167% $131
Sport & Entertainment
Jakarta
$32
Nosara
$87 170% $55
Getting Around
Jakarta
$15
Nosara
$87 476% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $370 in Jakarta 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 95% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Jakarta versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $350 – making Jakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Jakarta
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
08:08 8:08 AM
19:08 7:08 PM
13 h behind Jakarta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,337,563 Capital
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jakarta Nosara 18,580 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jakarta
  • 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
Jakarta vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Jakarta or Nosara?
Nosara costs about 132% more than Jakarta, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Jakarta and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,190 per month in Jakarta and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Jakarta or Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Jakarta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Jakarta and in Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $153 per month in Jakarta and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Jakarta or in Nosara?
Groceries cost about 61% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Jakarta or in Nosara?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jakarta, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Jakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Jakarta or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jakarta costs $793 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Jakarta compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Jakarta or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Jakarta. 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.

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