Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matara and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Matara: $579 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$579

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $579 per month in Matara vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Matara $579
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $845 per month in Matara vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Matara $845
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,112 per month in Matara vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Matara $1,112
Nosara $3,818

Matara is about 69% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Matara sits 57% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 LKR 1,262

$12.35 ₡5,539

-69.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.67 LKR 8,171

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-59.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 LKR 2,551

$7.52 ₡3,373

2.39%

Cappuccino

$2.46 LKR 815

$4.41 ₡1,978

-44.22%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$1.74 ₡780

-61.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.5

$1.31 ₡587

-79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 735

$3.28 ₡1,471

-32.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 LKR 1,006

$4.47 ₡2,004

-31.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 516

$1.56 ₡701

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$3.02 ₡1,355

-82.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 251

$2.51 ₡1,125

-69.72%

Eggs

$1.52 LKR 504

$3.57 ₡1,603

-57.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.89 LKR 4,601

$7.43 ₡3,333

86.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 LKR 1,651

$10.52 ₡4,717

-52.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 LKR 2,449

$13.97 ₡6,265

-47.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.70 LKR 2,220

$2.35 ₡1,052

185.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 LKR 155

$1.61 ₡720

-70.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 LKR 1,485

$4.80 ₡2,152

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$1.61 ₡724

-47.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 322

$3.80 ₡1,703

-74.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 206

$3.69 ₡1,657

-83.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$1.13 ₡507

-17.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$2.66 ₡1,191

-82.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 LKR 3,227

$5.18 ₡2,321

88.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 LKR 4,321

$19.88 ₡8,916

-34.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 LKR 612

$2.90 ₡1,300

-36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 LKR 963

$3.63 ₡1,626

-19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 94.6

$1.12 ₡504

-74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$2.14 ₡958

-81.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$1.57 ₡703

-76.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 288

$8.52 ₡3,823

-89.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 437

$1.52 ₡682

-13.16%

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

$36.8K LKR 12.2M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

70.09%

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

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

17.46%

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

$46.01 LKR 15.2K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-52.22%

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

$4.29 LKR 1,420

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-88.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 LKR 7,016

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-60.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,464

$7.89 ₡3,539

-43.98%

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

$38.19 LKR 12.6K

$494 ₡221.6K

-92.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,210 LKR 400.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-89.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.27 LKR 6,051

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-66.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.83 LKR 5,575

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-69.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 LKR 26.5K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

2.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.05 LKR 13.6K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-48.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$184 LKR 61.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

-76.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.1 LKR 29.5K

$794 ₡356.2K

-88.78%

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)

$106 LKR 35.2K

$864 ₡387.3K

-87.69%

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 Matara: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Matara

$232 40%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 52% $121

Eating Out

Matara

$104 18%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 104% $108

Accommodation & Living

Matara

$89 15.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 791% $705

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matara

$71 12.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 160% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Matara

$70 12.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 70.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Matara

$8.8 * 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 888% $79

Getting Around

Matara

$3.4 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 2462% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $184 in Matara versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 713% 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 $25.00 in Matara versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $352 – making Matara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matara

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:49 1:49 AM

14:19 2:19 PM

11 h 30 min behind Matara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

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

Matara Nosara 17,680 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Matara
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

Matara vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 218%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $868 per month in Matara and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matara, 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 $579 in Matara and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 218%.

Kindergarten costs $38.19 per month in Matara and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Matara, where all-in costs run around $579, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Matara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Matara. 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.