Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay): $769 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Mumbai (Bombay)
🇮🇳 India
$769
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $769 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Mumbai (Bombay) $769
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,281 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Mumbai (Bombay) $1,281
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,793 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Mumbai (Bombay) $1,793
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) costs roughly 58% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) is 43% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mumbai (Bombay)
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.29 ₹512
$12.22 ₡5,509
-56.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.16 ₹2,048
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-64.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.08 ₹394
$7.54 ₡3,399
-45.89%
Cappuccino
$2.61 ₹253
$4.31 ₡1,941
-39.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 ₹35.00
$1.72 ₡773
-79.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 ₹12.56
$1.35 ₡608
-90.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.63 ₹255
$3.24 ₡1,459
-18.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.12 ₹398
$4.48 ₡2,018
-8.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mumbai (Bombay)
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.73 ₹70.5
$1.57 ₡707
-53.50%
White Bread (500g)
$0.50 ₹48.39
$3.17 ₡1,429
-84.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.76 ₹73.6
$2.42 ₡1,091
-68.60%
Eggs
$1.00 ₹96.9
$3.57 ₡1,609
-71.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.56 ₹538
$7.43 ₡3,349
-25.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.60 ₹349
$10.42 ₡4,697
-65.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$13.66 ₡6,156
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 ₹208
$2.32 ₡1,044
-7.33%
Banana (1kg)
$0.72 ₹69.8
$1.61 ₡728
-55.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.24 ₹120
$4.74 ₡2,138
-73.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.50 ₹48.21
$1.66 ₡747
-69.88%
Potato (1kg)
$0.34 ₹32.59
$3.72 ₡1,679
-90.86%
Onion (1kg)
$0.37 ₹35.51
$3.57 ₡1,611
-89.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.44 ₹42.60
$1.10 ₡497
-60.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 ₹26.87
$2.55 ₡1,149
-89.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.08 ₹491
$4.95 ₡2,232
2.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.32 ₹805
$20.01 ₡9,020
-58.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 ₹188
$2.79 ₡1,256
-30.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 ₹297
$3.53 ₡1,589
-13.03%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$6.16 ₹596
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mumbai (Bombay)
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₹21.29
$1.19 ₡537
-81.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.61 ₹543
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-92.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.31 ₹29.53
$2.24 ₡1,011
-86.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 ₹31.47
$1.55 ₡701
-78.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 ₹149
$8.86 ₡3,993
-82.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ₹111
$1.57 ₡708
-26.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.7K ₹1.5M
$21.8K ₡9.8M
-27.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K ₹2.1M
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-36.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mumbai (Bombay)
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.7 ₹5,877
$93.5 ₡42.1K
-35.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.39 ₹425
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-87.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.80 ₹852
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-82.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mumbai (Bombay)
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.08 ₹2,525
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-63.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.19 ₹1,277
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-62.78%
Cinema Ticket
$4.49 ₹434
$7.84 ₡3,535
-42.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mumbai (Bombay)
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$114 ₹11.0K
$490 ₡220.7K
-76.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,082 ₹491.9K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-57.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mumbai (Bombay)
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.13 ₹3,497
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-32.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.96 ₹3,867
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-28.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$54.5 ₹5,270
$79.3 ₡35.7K
-31.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.98 ₹4,644
$78.9 ₡35.6K
-39.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mumbai (Bombay)
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$598 ₹57.9K
$786 ₡354.3K
-23.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$344 ₹33.3K
$780 ₡351.6K
-55.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,797 ₹173.9K
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-53.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$866 ₹83.8K
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-38.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,811 ₹562.3K
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-16.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,418 ₹234.0K
$1,201 ₡541.3K
101.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mumbai (Bombay)
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$768 ₹74.4K
$876 ₡395.0K
-12.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.29
8.62
-3.83%

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

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): 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
Mumbai (Bombay)
$344
Nosara
$780 127% $436
Groceries & Markets
Mumbai (Bombay)
$116
Nosara
$350 202% $234
Eating Out
Mumbai (Bombay)
$109
Nosara
$209 91.7% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Mumbai (Bombay)
$80
Nosara
$120 49.8% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mumbai (Bombay)
$74
Nosara
$180 144% $106
Sport & Entertainment
Mumbai (Bombay)
$35
Nosara
$87 148% $52
Getting Around
Mumbai (Bombay)
$8.4
Nosara
$87 932% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $598 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 14% 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: $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $350 per month, with Mumbai (Bombay) cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:19 2:19 PM
02:49 2:49 AM
11 h 30 min behind Mumbai (Bombay)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,442,373
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 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
  • Mumbai (Bombay) Nosara 16,020 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mumbai (Bombay)
  • 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
Mumbai (Bombay) vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mumbai (Bombay) and in Nosara?
Mumbai (Bombay) and Nosara differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($769 vs $1,837 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Mumbai (Bombay) and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $598 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 202% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay) – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $769 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mumbai (Bombay) but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mumbai (Bombay) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mumbai (Bombay) and Nosara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Mumbai (Bombay) or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Mumbai (Bombay) 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.
Where should expats move: Mumbai (Bombay) or Nosara?
Expats usually find Mumbai (Bombay) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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