Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Arugam Bay

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,498

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,391

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,937

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

$1.72 ₡772

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡606

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,456

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,014

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡705

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,089

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,342

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,687

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,143

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,042

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡726

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,133

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡746

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,675

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,608

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡496

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,147

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,227

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,001

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,253

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,586

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡536

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,009

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡699

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,985

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡706

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.0K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,528

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

$490 ₡220.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡353.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡350.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡633.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡540.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡394.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Arugam Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Arugam Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Arugam Bay

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Arugam Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Arugam Bay

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Arugam Bay

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Arugam Bay

🕒 Local time

01:49 1:49 AM

13:19 1:19 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

5,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Arugam Bay 17,690 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Arugam Bay

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 Arugam Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Arugam Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Arugam Bay. 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.