Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,038 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,038

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Koh Tao versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Koh Tao $1,038
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Koh Tao versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Koh Tao $1,702
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,367 in Koh Tao versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Koh Tao $2,367
Nosara $3,712

Living in Koh Tao costs roughly 44% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Tao is 23% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 ฿126

$12.22 ₡5,509

-69.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.47 ฿920

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-54.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 ฿249

$7.54 ₡3,399

-1.33%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ฿76.7

$4.31 ₡1,941

-46.87%

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

$0.74 ฿24.85

$1.72 ₡773

-56.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿14.14

$1.35 ₡608

-68.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ฿70.5

$3.24 ₡1,459

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ฿106

$4.48 ₡2,018

-29.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.57 ₡707

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ฿43.93

$3.17 ₡1,429

-58.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ฿47.89

$2.42 ₡1,091

-40.91%

Eggs

$2.08 ฿69.6

$3.57 ₡1,609

-41.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 ฿623

$7.43 ₡3,349

150.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 ฿104

$10.42 ₡4,697

-70.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 ฿346

$13.66 ₡6,156

-24.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.5

$2.32 ₡1,044

16.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ฿51.7

$1.61 ₡728

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.5

$4.74 ₡2,138

-54.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.2

$1.66 ₡747

17.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ฿48.03

$3.72 ₡1,679

-61.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.12

$3.57 ₡1,611

-64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.35

$1.10 ₡497

-3.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$2.55 ₡1,149

-80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 ฿136

$4.95 ₡2,232

-17.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.40 ฿583

$20.01 ₡9,020

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ฿56.0

$2.79 ₡1,256

-40.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ฿88.0

$3.53 ₡1,589

-25.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 ฿65.9

$1.19 ₡537

65.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 ฿87.6

$2.24 ₡1,011

16.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ฿30.50

$1.55 ₡701

-41.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ฿117

$8.86 ₡3,993

-60.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.27

$1.57 ₡708

-17.83%

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

$23.8K ฿796.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

9.18%

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

$24.3K ฿813.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-29.82%

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

$96.6 ฿3,235

$93.5 ₡42.1K

3.40%

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

$11.14 ฿373

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-68.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿564

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-67.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 ฿1,827

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-23.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 ฿389

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-67.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 ฿264

$7.84 ₡3,535

0.51%

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

$547 ฿18.3K

$490 ₡220.7K

11.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K ฿383.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-3.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 ฿2,100

$53.5 ₡24.1K

17.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.43 ฿952

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-49.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,220

$79.3 ₡35.7K

21.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 ฿2,952

$78.9 ₡35.6K

11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ฿17.9K

$786 ₡354.3K

-31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ฿11.9K

$780 ₡351.6K

-54.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ฿51.3K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-60.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ฿30.0K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-36.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 ฿89.0K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-61.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

59.68%

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 Tao: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Tao

$354 34%

Nosara

$780 43% 120% $426

Groceries & Markets

Koh Tao

$252 24.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 38.7% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Tao

$125 12%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 44.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Tao

$124 11.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 2.9% $3.6

Eating Out

Koh Tao

$101 9.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 107% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Tao

$70 6.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 23.9% $17

Getting Around

Koh Tao

$15 * 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 477% $72

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 $535 in Koh Tao and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Koh Tao vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $350 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

05:30 5:30 AM

13 h behind Koh Tao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,382

4,912

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Koh Tao Nosara 17,700 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,557 in Koh Tao and $2,756 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $535 in Koh Tao versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Koh Tao versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,038 in Koh Tao versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.