Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kataragama and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $509 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Kataragama
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Kataragama Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $509 per month in Kataragama vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kataragama $509
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $828 per month in Kataragama vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kataragama $828
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,146 per month in Kataragama vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kataragama $1,146
Nosara $3,818

Kataragama is about 72% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kataragama sits 62% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 LKR 1,485

$12.35 ₡5,539

-63.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.30 LKR 8,050

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-60.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 LKR 2,564

$7.52 ₡3,373

2.93%

Cappuccino

$2.46 LKR 816

$4.41 ₡1,978

-44.22%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$1.74 ₡780

-58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$1.31 ₡587

-79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 LKR 727

$3.28 ₡1,471

-33.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 993

$4.47 ₡2,004

-32.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 LKR 513

$1.56 ₡701

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 188

$3.02 ₡1,355

-81.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

$2.51 ₡1,125

-67.73%

Eggs

$1.57 LKR 519

$3.57 ₡1,603

-56.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 LKR 4,654

$7.43 ₡3,333

89.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 LKR 1,639

$10.52 ₡4,717

-52.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 LKR 2,473

$13.97 ₡6,265

-46.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.92 LKR 2,292

$2.35 ₡1,052

194.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$1.61 ₡720

-48.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 LKR 1,466

$4.80 ₡2,152

-7.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 LKR 405

$1.61 ₡724

-24.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$3.80 ₡1,703

-73.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 247

$3.69 ₡1,657

-79.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 306

$1.13 ₡507

-18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 LKR 155

$2.66 ₡1,191

-82.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.42 LKR 3,453

$5.18 ₡2,321

101.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.64 LKR 4,517

$19.88 ₡8,916

-31.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 LKR 628

$2.90 ₡1,300

-34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 985

$3.63 ₡1,626

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 133

$2.14 ₡958

-81.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 LKR 114

$1.57 ₡703

-78.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 291

$8.52 ₡3,823

-89.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 LKR 447

$1.52 ₡682

-11.18%

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

$37.3K LKR 12.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

72.54%

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

$41.1K LKR 13.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

19.04%

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

$53.1 LKR 17.6K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-44.91%

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

$4.29 LKR 1,420

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-88.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.04 LKR 6,970

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-60.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 LKR 1,483

$7.89 ₡3,539

-43.22%

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

$38.54 LKR 12.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

-92.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,225 LKR 405.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-89.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.51 LKR 6,131

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-65.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 LKR 5,591

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-69.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 LKR 25.9K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.04 LKR 14.3K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-45.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

8.62

47.22%

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

Last update for Kataragama: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kataragama

$240 47.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 46.9% $112

Eating Out

Kataragama

$110 21.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 93.3% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kataragama

$78 15.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 137% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Kataragama

$71 13.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 70.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 876% $78

Getting Around

Kataragama

$2.1 * 0.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 4009% $85

Accommodation & Living

Kataragama

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Kataragama versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $352 – making Kataragama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

02:29 2:29 AM

11 h 30 min behind Kataragama

🌤 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

Kataragama Nosara 17,690 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Kataragama
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

Kataragama vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 261% more than Kataragama, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $764 per month in Kataragama and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $509 in Kataragama and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 261%.

Kindergarten costs $38.54 per month in Kataragama and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kataragama, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kataragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kataragama costs $509 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kataragama. 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.