Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Chang and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Chang: $965 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Koh Chang
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Koh Chang Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Koh Chang

🇹🇭 Thailand

$965

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $965 per month in Koh Chang vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Koh Chang $965
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,583 per month in Koh Chang vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Koh Chang $1,583
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Koh Chang vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Koh Chang $2,200
Nosara $3,712

Koh Chang is about 47% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Koh Chang sits 28% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 ฿121

$12.22 ₡5,509

-70.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.36 ฿883

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-56.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 ฿234

$7.54 ₡3,399

-7.29%

Cappuccino

$2.26 ฿75.6

$4.31 ₡1,941

-47.56%

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

$0.77 ฿25.91

$1.72 ₡773

-55.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.29

$1.35 ₡608

-70.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ฿68.4

$3.24 ₡1,459

-37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ฿101

$4.48 ₡2,018

-32.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.57 ₡707

-5.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ฿44.00

$3.17 ₡1,429

-58.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ฿47.17

$2.42 ₡1,091

-41.74%

Eggs

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.57 ₡1,609

-45.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.61 ฿590

$7.43 ₡3,349

137.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 ฿101

$10.42 ₡4,697

-71.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ฿323

$13.66 ₡6,156

-29.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.8

$2.32 ₡1,044

15.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.7

$1.61 ₡728

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$4.74 ₡2,138

-56.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 ฿64.4

$1.66 ₡747

15.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.44

$3.72 ₡1,679

-63.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.81

$3.57 ₡1,611

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.88

$1.10 ₡497

-8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.64

$2.55 ₡1,149

-80.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ฿133

$4.95 ₡2,232

-19.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.61 ฿556

$20.01 ₡9,020

-16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ฿55.1

$2.79 ₡1,256

-41.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 ฿86.9

$3.53 ₡1,589

-26.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 ฿61.2

$1.19 ₡537

53.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 ฿81.4

$2.24 ₡1,011

8.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 ฿27.40

$1.55 ₡701

-47.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 ฿99.7

$8.86 ₡3,993

-66.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ฿39.79

$1.57 ₡708

-24.20%

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

$21.1K ฿707.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-3.07%

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

$21.5K ฿720.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-37.83%

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

$94.2 ฿3,152

$93.5 ₡42.1K

0.75%

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

$10.67 ฿357

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-69.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.43 ฿550

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-68.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.74 ฿1,498

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-37.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.17 ฿307

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-74.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ฿217

$7.84 ₡3,535

-17.47%

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

$491 ฿16.4K

$490 ₡220.7K

0.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ฿351.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-11.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ฿2,016

$53.5 ₡24.1K

12.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.51 ฿921

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-50.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,026

$79.3 ₡35.7K

14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 ฿2,758

$78.9 ₡35.6K

4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 ฿15.8K

$786 ₡354.3K

-39.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 ฿10.1K

$780 ₡351.6K

-61.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 ฿44.7K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-65.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ฿26.6K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-43.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,276 ฿76.2K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-67.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,651 ฿55.3K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

37.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.62

-35.38%

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

Last update for Koh Chang: 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

Koh Chang

$303 31.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 157% $477

Groceries & Markets

Koh Chang

$242 25.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 44.5% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Chang

$121 12.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 48.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Chang

$117 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 2.7% $3.1

Eating Out

Koh Chang

$98 10.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 114% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Chang

$58 6.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 50.9% $29

Getting Around

Koh Chang

$14 * 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 528% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $473 in Koh Chang 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Koh Chang versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $350 – making Koh Chang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Chang

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:40 3:40 PM

02:40 2:40 AM

13 h behind Koh Chang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,500

4,912

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Koh Chang Nosara 17,410 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Koh Chang
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

Koh Chang vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $965 in Koh Chang, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,448 per month in Koh Chang 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 Koh Chang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $965 in Koh Chang and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 90%.

Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Koh Chang and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Koh Chang, where all-in costs run around $965, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Koh Chang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $965 in Koh Chang to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Koh Chang. 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.