Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Anuradhapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Anuradhapura: $509 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Anuradhapura
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Anuradhapura Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Anuradhapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Anuradhapura

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 Anuradhapura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $509 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Anuradhapura $509

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $825 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Anuradhapura $825

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,140 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Anuradhapura $1,140

Nosara costs about 261% more than Anuradhapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Anuradhapura is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.35 LKR 1,442

183.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.76 LKR 7,870

157.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.63 LKR 2,529

-1.44%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.41 LKR 798

82.99%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.72 LKR 237

141.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.25 LKR 82.6

424.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.27 LKR 753

44.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.12 LKR 1,032

43.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.64 LKR 542

-4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.53 LKR 175

469.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.80 LKR 263

213.75%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.58 LKR 522

125.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.03 LKR 4,648

-47.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.79 LKR 1,588

119.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.37 LKR 2,440

89.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.89 LKR 2,283

-65.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.83 LKR 275

93.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.51 LKR 1,495

6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.21 LKR 402

33.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.03 LKR 341

268.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.76 LKR 251

385.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.92 LKR 306

22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.47 LKR 155

465.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.30 LKR 3,412

-49.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.58 LKR 4,498

46.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.97 LKR 651

47.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.93 LKR 969

23.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.38 LKR 125

463.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.34 LKR 114

361.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.95 LKR 314

796.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.37 LKR 455

10.95%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.6K LKR 12.1M

-41.03%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

-16.50%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$54.5 LKR 18.1K

76.58%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.33 LKR 1,436

728.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$21.17 LKR 7,013

153.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.31 LKR 1,428

83.06%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$38.49 LKR 12.7K

1183.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,229 LKR 407.2K

864.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$17.84 LKR 5,910

202.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.82 LKR 5,572

229.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$79.6 LKR 26.4K

-2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$42.74 LKR 14.2K

86.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

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)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.69

-32.07%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Anuradhapura: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Anuradhapura

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Anuradhapura

$240 47.1% 32% $113

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Anuradhapura

$108 21.2% 49% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Anuradhapura

$80 15.7% 56.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Anuradhapura

$71 13.9% 41.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Anuradhapura

$8.6 * 1.7% 90.1% $79

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Anuradhapura

$2.1 * 0.4% 97.6% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $24.00 in Anuradhapura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $240 – making Anuradhapura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Anuradhapura

🕒 Local time

15:11 3:11 PM

02:41 2:41 AM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

63,200

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Anuradhapura 17,460 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Anuradhapura

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 Anuradhapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $509 in Anuradhapura – roughly 261% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $764 in Anuradhapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $24.00 in Anuradhapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anuradhapura, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Anuradhapura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $509 in Anuradhapura to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Anuradhapura. 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.