Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ambon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $625 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ambon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Ambon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $625 in Ambon.

Nosara $1,837
Ambon $625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $997 in Ambon.

Nosara $2,775
Ambon $997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,368 in Ambon.

Nosara $3,712
Ambon $1,368

Living in Nosara is roughly 194% more expensive than in Ambon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Ambon is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

1010.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$13.77 Rp 246.2K

337.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$3.82 Rp 68.3K

97.38%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

193.20%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.43 Rp 7,711

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.29 Rp 5,155

365.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

41.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.46 Rp 61.8K

29.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

46.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.99 Rp 17.6K

220.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

202.50%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

160.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.33 Rp 131.1K

1.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$2.93 Rp 52.4K

255.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.72 Rp 138.0K

76.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.23 Rp 39.9K

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

24.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.70 Rp 30.3K

178.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.27 Rp 22.6K

30.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

188.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.99 Rp 35.6K

79.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.43 Rp 7,711

493.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

116.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$21.10 Rp 377.1K

-5.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

54.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.05 Rp 54.5K

15.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.26 Rp 4,719

357.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$16.64 Rp 297.5K

333.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.52 Rp 9,372

330.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.36 Rp 6,402

330.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$2.69 Rp 48.0K

229.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

93.83%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.1K Rp 377.3M

3.31%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$27.3K Rp 487.1M

27.10%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$57.5 Rp 1.0M

62.52%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$5.48 Rp 97.9K

540.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$18.88 Rp 337.4K

172.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$18.58 Rp 332.0K

284.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$7.69 Rp 137.5K

360.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

472.26%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$95.1 Rp 1.7M

414.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,994 Rp 125.0M

69.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$42.94 Rp 767.5K

24.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$32.09 Rp 573.6K

73.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$73.0 Rp 1.3M

8.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$71.7 Rp 1.3M

9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$207 Rp 3.7M

279.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$127 Rp 2.3M

514.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$477 Rp 8.5M

708.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$405 Rp 7.2M

247.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,004 Rp 17.9M

594.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$915 Rp 16.4M

31.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$125 Rp 2.2M

602.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.46

-8.88%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ambon: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Ambon

$127 21.1% 83.7% $653

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Ambon

$194 32.3% 44.4% $155

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Ambon

$59 9.8% 71.8% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Ambon

$82 13.6% 54.5% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Ambon

$99 16.4% 17.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ambon

$21 3.5% 75.5% $66

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ambon

$20 3.3% 77% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $207 in Ambon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 602% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $14.00 in Ambon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $194 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇩 Ambon

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

20:49 8:49 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

275,888

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ambon 16,220 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ambon

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

Nosara vs Ambon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 194% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 602% higher in Nosara, 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: $786 in Nosara versus $207 in Ambon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $625 in Ambon – a 194% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 333% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $625 in Ambon versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ambon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ambon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Ambon 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 Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 194% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.