Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Gambier and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,219 in Mount Gambier, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Mount Gambier
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Mount Gambier Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mount Gambier

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,219

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,219 in Mount Gambier versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Mount Gambier $2,219
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,750 in Mount Gambier versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Mount Gambier $3,750
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,280 in Mount Gambier versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Mount Gambier $5,280
Nosara $3,712

Living in Mount Gambier is roughly 21% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mount Gambier 66% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 A$45.16

$12.22 ₡5,509

158.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 A$168

$60.2 ₡27.1K

94.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.77 A$15.41

$7.54 ₡3,399

42.84%

Cappuccino

$4.58 A$6.55

$4.31 ₡1,941

6.26%

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

$3.02 A$4.33

$1.72 ₡773

75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 A$3.71

$1.35 ₡608

91.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.00 A$7.15

$3.24 ₡1,459

54.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 A$9.27

$4.48 ₡2,018

44.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 A$3.11

$1.57 ₡707

38.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 A$4.82

$3.17 ₡1,429

6.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.42 ₡1,091

-9.92%

Eggs

$5.73 A$8.19

$3.57 ₡1,609

60.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.92

$7.43 ₡3,349

21.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 A$12.40

$10.42 ₡4,697

-16.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.13

$13.66 ₡6,156

-27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.76

$2.32 ₡1,044

43.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.70

$1.61 ₡728

60.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.54

$4.74 ₡2,138

-33.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 A$7.69

$1.66 ₡747

224.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.67

$3.72 ₡1,679

-12.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.00 A$5.73

$3.57 ₡1,611

12.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 A$3.82

$1.10 ₡497

142.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$2.55 ₡1,149

-35.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.36 A$44.88

$4.95 ₡2,232

533.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.41 A$33.50

$20.01 ₡9,020

16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.83 A$6.92

$2.79 ₡1,256

73.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 A$7.90

$3.53 ₡1,589

56.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 A$4.17

$1.19 ₡537

145.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.4 A$115

$72.1 ₡32.5K

11.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.13

$2.24 ₡1,011

60.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.28

$1.55 ₡701

3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.13 A$57.4

$8.86 ₡3,993

352.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.57 ₡708

-8.28%

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

$27.0K A$38.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

24.04%

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

$30.3K A$43.4K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-12.48%

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

$302 A$432

$93.5 ₡42.1K

222.95%

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

$45.96 A$65.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

30.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 A$90.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

22.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.7

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-22.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.12 A$25.93

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-48.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 A$15.81

$7.84 ₡3,535

40.94%

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

$2,174 A$3,111

$490 ₡220.7K

344.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K A$29.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

75.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 A$127

$53.5 ₡24.1K

65.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 A$71.7

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-10.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$177

$79.3 ₡35.7K

55.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 A$161

$78.9 ₡35.6K

42.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 A$1,113

$786 ₡354.3K

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 A$986

$780 ₡351.6K

-11.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 A$1,758

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-68.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

$1,407 ₡634.4K

21.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,908 A$8,454

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-15.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,053 A$7,232

$1,201 ₡541.3K

320.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,521 A$3,608

$876 ₡395.0K

187.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

8.62

-23.09%

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

Last update for Mount Gambier: 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

Mount Gambier

$689 30.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 13.2% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Gambier

$411 18.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 56.2% $231

Eating Out

Mount Gambier

$400 17.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 47.7% $191

Groceries & Markets

Mount Gambier

$389 17.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 10.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Gambier

$169 7.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 28.7% $48

Getting Around

Mount Gambier

$104 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 16.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Gambier

$78 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 12% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $778 in Mount Gambier and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Gambier pays 188% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $117 in Mount Gambier vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mount Gambier

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

21:49 9:49 PM

16 h 30 min behind Mount Gambier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,734

4,912

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 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 AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mount Gambier Nosara 14,450 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mount Gambier
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

Mount Gambier vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Mount Gambier. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 188% higher in Mount Gambier, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $778 in Mount Gambier versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,174 in Mount Gambier versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Mount Gambier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,219 in Mount Gambier, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Mount Gambier. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mount Gambier 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Mount Gambier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.