Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matale and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Matale: $229 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Matale

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$229

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $229 per month in Matale vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Matale $229
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $376 per month in Matale vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Matale $376
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $523 per month in Matale vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Matale $523
Nosara $3,712

Matale is about 88% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Matale sits 83% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.86 LKR 616

$12.22 ₡5,509

-84.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.18 LKR 3,036

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-84.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.49 LKR 1,485

$7.54 ₡3,399

-40.45%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$0.45 LKR 150

$1.72 ₡773

-73.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 LKR 72.4

$1.35 ₡608

-83.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 LKR 797

$3.24 ₡1,459

-25.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 LKR 587

$4.48 ₡2,018

-60.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 LKR 489

$1.57 ₡707

-5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 LKR 142

$3.17 ₡1,429

-86.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LKR 219

$2.42 ₡1,091

-72.73%

Eggs

$1.64 LKR 543

$3.57 ₡1,609

-54.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 LKR 3,254

$7.43 ₡3,349

32.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 LKR 1,205

$10.42 ₡4,697

-65.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 LKR 2,450

$13.66 ₡6,156

-45.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 LKR 180

$1.61 ₡728

-66.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 290

$1.66 ₡747

-46.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 LKR 186

$3.72 ₡1,679

-84.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 LKR 174

$3.57 ₡1,611

-85.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 LKR 537

$2.79 ₡1,256

-41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 LKR 82.8

$1.55 ₡701

-83.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 LKR 372

$1.57 ₡708

-28.66%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$3.87 LKR 1,281

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-88.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.58 LKR 8,133

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-54.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$10.79 LKR 3,569

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-86.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$43.53 LKR 14.4K

$780 ₡351.6K

-94.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$62.6 LKR 20.7K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-95.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$160 LKR 52.8K

$876 ₡395.0K

-81.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Matale: 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

Matale

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Matale

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Matale

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matale

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Matale

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Matale

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Matale

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 449% 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 $9.00 in Matale versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $117 vs $350 – making Matale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matale

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

00:18 12:18 AM

11 h 30 min behind Matale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,800

4,912

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Matale Nosara 17,550 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Matale
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

Matale vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 701% more than Matale, 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 $344 per month in Matale and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $229 in Matale and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 701%.

Groceries cost about 199% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Matale, where all-in costs run around $229, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Matale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Matale costs $229 versus $1,837 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 Matale. 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.