Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuta, Bali and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuta, Bali: $1,231 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Kuta, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,231
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,231 per month in Kuta, Bali vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kuta, Bali $1,231
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,066 per month in Kuta, Bali vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kuta, Bali $2,066
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Kuta, Bali vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kuta, Bali $2,900
  • Nosara $3,712

Kuta, Bali is about 33% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kuta, Bali sits 8% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kuta, Bali
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.89 Rp 51.7K
$12.22 ₡5,509
-76.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.73 Rp 549.4K
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-48.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.94 Rp 88.3K
$7.54 ₡3,399
-34.48%
Cappuccino
$2.38 Rp 42.5K
$4.31 ₡1,941
-44.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 Rp 26.7K
$1.72 ₡773
-13.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 Rp 12.3K
$1.35 ₡608
-48.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.37 Rp 42.3K
$3.24 ₡1,459
-26.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 Rp 69.9K
$4.48 ₡2,018
-12.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kuta, Bali
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 Rp 26.2K
$1.57 ₡707
-6.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 Rp 39.0K
$3.17 ₡1,429
-31.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.17 Rp 20.9K
$2.42 ₡1,091
-51.65%
Eggs
$1.98 Rp 35.4K
$3.57 ₡1,609
-44.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.58 Rp 296.4K
$7.43 ₡3,349
123.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.63 Rp 64.9K
$10.42 ₡4,697
-65.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.49 Rp 205.4K
$13.66 ₡6,156
-15.89%
Apples (1kg)
$3.32 Rp 59.4K
$2.32 ₡1,044
43.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 Rp 26.9K
$1.61 ₡728
-6.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 Rp 38.7K
$4.74 ₡2,138
-54.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.89 Rp 33.8K
$1.66 ₡747
13.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 Rp 30.9K
$3.72 ₡1,679
-53.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.30 Rp 41.2K
$3.57 ₡1,611
-35.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.7K
$1.10 ₡497
-10.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 Rp 8,359
$2.55 ₡1,149
-81.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.11 Rp 37.6K
$4.95 ₡2,232
-57.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.20 Rp 379.0K
$20.01 ₡9,020
5.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 Rp 40.3K
$2.79 ₡1,256
-19.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 Rp 51.1K
$3.53 ₡1,589
-18.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Kuta, Bali
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,813
$1.19 ₡537
-77.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.09 Rp 162.4K
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-87.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 Rp 8,847
$2.24 ₡1,011
-78.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,210
$1.55 ₡701
-70.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.71 Rp 48.4K
$8.86 ₡3,993
-69.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 Rp 16.7K
$1.57 ₡708
-40.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.2K Rp 468.7M
$21.8K ₡9.8M
20.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K Rp 605.9M
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-2.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kuta, Bali
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.4 Rp 1.5M
$93.5 ₡42.1K
-12.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.62 Rp 118.4K
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-81.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.48 Rp 330.3K
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-64.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kuta, Bali
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.75 Rp 853.5K
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-33.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.76 Rp 281.6K
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-55.53%
Cinema Ticket
$3.87 Rp 69.1K
$7.84 ₡3,535
-50.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kuta, Bali
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$443 Rp 7.9M
$490 ₡220.7K
-9.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,264 Rp 94.1M
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-55.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kuta, Bali
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.10 Rp 824.0K
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-13.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.04 Rp 626.3K
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-37.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.3 Rp 1.4M
$79.3 ₡35.7K
1.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$78.9 ₡35.6K
0.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kuta, Bali
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$935 Rp 16.7M
$786 ₡354.3K
18.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 Rp 10.2M
$780 ₡351.6K
-26.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,926 Rp 52.3M
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-24.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,426 Rp 25.5M
$1,407 ₡634.4K
1.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,256 Rp 40.3M
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-67.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,861 Rp 33.3M
$1,201 ₡541.3K
55.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kuta, Bali
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$876 ₡395.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
8.62
59.86%

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

Last update for Kuta, Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kuta, Bali
$570
Nosara
$780 36.8% $210
Groceries & Markets
Kuta, Bali
$274
Nosara
$350 27.6% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Kuta, Bali
$108
Nosara
$120 11% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kuta, Bali
$107
Nosara
$180 69% $74
Eating Out
Kuta, Bali
$95
Nosara
$209 121% $115
Sport & Entertainment
Kuta, Bali
$55
Nosara
$87 57% $32
Getting Around
Kuta, Bali
$13
Nosara
$87 571% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $935 in Kuta, Bali 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 $31.00 in Kuta, Bali versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $350 – making Kuta, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Kuta, Bali
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:35 2:35 PM
00:35 12:35 AM
14 h behind Kuta, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
57,304
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 = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 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
  • Kuta, Bali Nosara 17,730 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kuta, Bali
  • 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
Kuta, Bali vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kuta, Bali or Nosara?
Nosara costs about 49% more than Kuta, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 Kuta, Bali and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,846 per month in Kuta, Bali 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, Kuta, Bali or Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuta, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Kuta, Bali and in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Kuta, Bali and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Kuta, Bali compared to Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,231 in Kuta, Bali and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 49%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Kuta, Bali or in Nosara?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuta, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Kuta, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kuta, Bali or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kuta, Bali costs $1,231 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 Kuta, Bali 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 Kuta, Bali or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Kuta, Bali. 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.

Kuta, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?