Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bentota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentota: $774 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bentota

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $774 in Bentota.

Nosara $1,839
Bentota $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $896 in Bentota.

Nosara $2,828
Bentota $896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,018 in Bentota.

Nosara $3,818
Bentota $1,018

Living in Nosara is roughly 138% more expensive than in Bentota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Bentota is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.29 LKR 1,421

187.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$11.97 LKR 3,965

411.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.73 LKR 2,560

-2.72%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.46 LKR 815

79.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.68 LKR 225

155.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.25 LKR 82.2

424.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.24 LKR 742

46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.07 LKR 1,016

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 LKR 535

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.53 LKR 176

469.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.74 LKR 244

239.19%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.56 LKR 518

128.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.03 LKR 4,648

-47.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.32 LKR 1,099

216.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$4.62 LKR 1,529

202.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.81 LKR 2,257

-65.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.73 LKR 241

120.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.59 LKR 1,519

4.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.90 LKR 297

78.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.00 LKR 331

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.79 LKR 263

367.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.94 LKR 312

20.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.43 LKR 143

518.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.13 LKR 3,356

-48.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.36 LKR 4,424

48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.95 LKR 645

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.91 LKR 963

24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.18 LKR 61.0

522.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.40 LKR 133

435.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.31 LKR 103

406.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.87 LKR 289

879.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.39 LKR 461

9.35%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

-41.85%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-13.98%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$54.0 LKR 17.9K

78.18%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$2.23 LKR 739

1509.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$9.03 LKR 2,990

493.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.28 LKR 1,417

84.35%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$38.08 LKR 12.6K

1197.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,230 LKR 407.3K

864.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$17.80 LKR 5,897

203.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.82 LKR 5,573

229.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

-3.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$42.09 LKR 13.9K

89.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$541 LKR 179.2K

45.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$298 LKR 98.7K

166.55%

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 Bentota: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Bentota

$298 38.5% 62.5% $496

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Bentota

$220 28.5% 37.5% $132

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Bentota

$108 14% 49% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Bentota

$65 8.4% 64.8% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Bentota

$71 9.1% 41.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bentota

$8.6 * 1.1% 90.2% $79

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Bentota

$2.7 * 0.4% 96.9% $84

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 $541 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $12.00 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $220 per month, with Bentota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Bentota

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

07:05 7:05 AM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

37,000

💱 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 Bentota 17,600 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Bentota

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 Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,160 in Bentota 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: $788 in Nosara versus $541 in Bentota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $774 in Bentota – a 138% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $774 in Bentota versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bentota 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 Bentota 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 Bentota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.