Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Badulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $543 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
Learn more

Badulla Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$543

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Badulla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $543 in Badulla.

Nosara $1,839
Badulla $543

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $877 in Badulla.

Nosara $2,828
Badulla $877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,211 in Badulla.

Nosara $3,818
Badulla $1,211

Living in Nosara is roughly 238% more expensive than in Badulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Badulla is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.88 LKR 1,287

218.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$25.05 LKR 8,298

144.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.37 LKR 2,442

2.04%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.55 LKR 844

72.94%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.71 LKR 236

145.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.27 LKR 89.5

385.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.22 LKR 735

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.07 LKR 1,015

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.55 LKR 514

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.53 LKR 174

469.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.60 LKR 199

318.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.66 LKR 551

115.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.97 LKR 4,627

-46.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.56 LKR 1,178

195.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.62 LKR 2,522

83.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.65 LKR 2,202

-64.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.87 LKR 288

85.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.35 LKR 1,440

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.33 LKR 439

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.99 LKR 329

283.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.77 LKR 255

379.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.87 LKR 287

29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.45 LKR 151

491.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.13 LKR 3,354

-48.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.74 LKR 4,221

56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.90 LKR 628

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.93 LKR 971

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

$0.37 LKR 123

324.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.88 LKR 293

868.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.38 LKR 456

10.14%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.5K LKR 12.1M

-40.82%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.7K LKR 13.5M

-15.23%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$57.9 LKR 19.2K

66.45%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.31 LKR 1,429

732.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$21.13 LKR 6,998

153.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.49 LKR 1,488

75.72%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$38.34 LKR 12.7K

1188.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,205 LKR 399.2K

883.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$18.44 LKR 6,108

192.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.32 LKR 5,405

239.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$80.2 LKR 26.6K

-2.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$41.30 LKR 13.7K

92.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$76.1 LKR 25.2K

936.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$44.45 LKR 14.7K

1686.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$89.9 LKR 29.8K

1479.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,542 LKR 1.5M

52.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$742 LKR 245.8K

64.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$224 LKR 74.3K

284.77%

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 Badulla: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Badulla

$44 8.2% 94.4% $750

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Badulla

$229 42.2% 34.9% $123

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Badulla

$105 19.3% 50.5% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Badulla

$83 15.3% 55.2% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Badulla

$70 12.9% 41.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Badulla

$9 * 1.7% 89.7% $78

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4% 97.4% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $76.1 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 285% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $25.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $229 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Badulla

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

18:35 6:35 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

110,000

💱 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 Badulla 17,620 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Badulla

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 Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 238% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 285% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $76.1 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $38.34 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $543 in Badulla versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Badulla 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, Nosara and Badulla 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 238% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.