Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ninh Binh and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ninh Binh: $730 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Ninh Binh
Learn more

Ninh Binh Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Ninh Binh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$730

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in Ninh Binh versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Ninh Binh $730
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Ninh Binh versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Ninh Binh $1,166
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,602 in Ninh Binh versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Ninh Binh $1,602
Nosara $3,818

Living in Ninh Binh costs roughly 60% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ninh Binh is 46% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.2K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-84.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.72 ₫536.4K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-66.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 ₫122.1K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-37.37%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₫45.4K

$4.41 ₡1,978

-60.09%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$1.74 ₡780

-70.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,789

$1.31 ₡587

-77.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$3.28 ₡1,471

-69.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₫39.2K

$4.47 ₡2,004

-66.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ₫36.7K

$1.56 ₡701

-8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₫25.0K

$3.02 ₡1,355

-68.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₫24.5K

$2.51 ₡1,125

-62.55%

Eggs

$1.41 ₫36.4K

$3.57 ₡1,603

-60.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 ₫301.8K

$7.43 ₡3,333

56.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ₫97.9K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-64.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 ₫261.6K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-27.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 ₫68.3K

$2.35 ₡1,052

12.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.1K

$1.61 ₡720

-37.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$4.80 ₡2,152

-72.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₫29.3K

$1.61 ₡724

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$3.80 ₡1,703

-72.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.1K

$3.69 ₡1,657

-72.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$1.13 ₡507

-38.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.32 ₫34.1K

$5.18 ₡2,321

-74.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ₫290.6K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-43.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₫19.0K

$2.90 ₡1,300

-74.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₫40.7K

$3.63 ₡1,626

-56.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ₫8,137

$1.12 ₡504

-72.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.35 ₫164.5K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-91.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 ₫18.3K

$2.14 ₡958

-66.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₫17.1K

$1.57 ₡703

-57.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 ₫70.5K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-68.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$1.52 ₡682

-40.13%

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

$35.4K ₫916.8M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

63.88%

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

$31.7K ₫820.9M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-8.14%

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

$75.1 ₫1.9M

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-22.06%

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

$5.87 ₫152.0K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-83.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.69 ₫225.1K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-83.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.18 ₫574.3K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-69.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.86 ₫203.5K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-77.48%

Cinema Ticket

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-61.98%

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

$263 ₫6.8M

$494 ₡221.6K

-46.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₫307.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

0.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.19 ₫1.1M

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-23.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.06 ₫596.9K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-58.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ₫2.2M

$77.9 ₡34.9K

9.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 ₫1.9M

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 ₫9.4M

$788 ₡353.4K

-53.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 ₫6.4M

$794 ₡356.2K

-68.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 ₫18.8M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ₫13.7M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-62.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,060 ₫53.3M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-70.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,268 ₫32.8M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

3.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

8.62

5.57%

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

Last update for Ninh Binh: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ninh Binh

$247 33.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 222% $548

Groceries & Markets

Ninh Binh

$191 26.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 84.2% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Ninh Binh

$101 13.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ninh Binh

$90 12.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 107% $96

Eating Out

Ninh Binh

$62 8.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 243% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Ninh Binh

$28 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 210% $59

Getting Around

Ninh Binh

$12 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 650% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $365 in Ninh Binh and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Ninh Binh vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $352 per month, with Ninh Binh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ninh Binh

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

07:53 7:53 AM

13 h behind Ninh Binh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,406

4,912

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ninh Binh Nosara 16,420 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ninh Binh
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

Ninh Binh vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ninh Binh is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,095 in Ninh Binh and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $365 in Ninh Binh versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Ninh Binh versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $730 in Ninh Binh versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ninh Binh but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ninh Binh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ninh Binh is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.