Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Beruwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Beruwala: $507 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 Beruwala
Learn more

Beruwala Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Beruwala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$507

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Beruwala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $507 in Beruwala.

Nosara $1,839
Beruwala $507

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $824 in Beruwala.

Nosara $2,828
Beruwala $824

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,140 in Beruwala.

Nosara $3,818
Beruwala $1,140

Living in Nosara is roughly 262% more expensive than in Beruwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Beruwala is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.30 LKR 1,424

187.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.33 LKR 8,058

151.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.45 LKR 2,467

0.94%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.48 LKR 823

77.82%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.68 LKR 224

155.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.27 LKR 90.2

385.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.18 LKR 723

50.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.05 LKR 1,009

46.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 LKR 538

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.57 LKR 188

429.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.78 LKR 259

221.79%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.59 LKR 526

124.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.81 LKR 4,575

-46.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.75 LKR 1,574

121.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.50 LKR 2,483

86.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.95 LKR 2,301

-66.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.83 LKR 276

93.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.49 LKR 1,489

6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.26 LKR 418

27.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.04 LKR 344

265.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.76 LKR 251

385.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.93 LKR 310

21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.44 LKR 145

504.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.34 LKR 3,424

-49.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.77 LKR 4,562

44.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.91 LKR 631

51.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.92 LKR 967

24.32%

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

$0.40 LKR 133

435.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.35 LKR 114

348.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.95 LKR 315

796.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.40 LKR 464

8.57%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

-40.58%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-13.82%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$54.9 LKR 18.2K

75.42%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.34 LKR 1,437

726.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.59 LKR 6,819

160.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.34 LKR 1,437

81.80%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

1213.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,213 LKR 401.8K

877.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$18.51 LKR 6,132

191.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.53 LKR 5,474

235.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$78.3 LKR 25.9K

-0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$41.74 LKR 13.8K

90.73%

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

$149 LKR 49.3K

479.99%

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 Beruwala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Beruwala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Beruwala

$240 47.2% 32% $113

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Beruwala

$107 21.2% 49.3% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Beruwala

$80 15.7% 57% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Beruwala

$70 13.8% 41.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Beruwala

$8.7 * 1.7% 90.1% $79

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Beruwala

$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

Nosara pays 480% 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 $24.00 in Beruwala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $240 per month, with Beruwala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Beruwala

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

04:53 4:53 AM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

35,300

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Beruwala 17,590 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Beruwala

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 Beruwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beruwala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 262% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 480% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% 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 $507 in Beruwala – a 262% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $507 in Beruwala versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Beruwala but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Beruwala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Beruwala 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 Beruwala 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 Beruwala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.