Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Binh Duong

For one person, living is cheaper in Binh Duong: $568 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Binh Duong
Learn more

Binh Duong Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Binh Duong

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Binh Duong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $568 in Binh Duong.

Nosara $1,839
Binh Duong $568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $957 in Binh Duong.

Nosara $2,828
Binh Duong $957

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,345 in Binh Duong.

Nosara $3,818
Binh Duong $1,345

Living in Nosara is roughly 224% more expensive than in Binh Duong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Binh Duong is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.96 ₫50.9K

530.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.14 ₫599.0K

164.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.51 ₫90.8K

114.25%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.63 ₫42.3K

170.55%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.53 ₫13.6K

228.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.28 ₫7,155

367.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.72 ₫18.7K

355.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$0.98 ₫25.3K

356.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.63 ₫42.2K

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.76 ₫19.7K

297.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.61 ₫15.7K

311.48%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.46 ₫37.8K

144.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.39 ₫294.8K

-34.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.37 ₫87.3K

212.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.12 ₫262.0K

38.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.14 ₫55.5K

9.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.60 ₫15.5K

168.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.70 ₫18.2K

585.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.04 ₫27.0K

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.94 ₫24.2K

304.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.01 ₫26.0K

265.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.76 ₫19.8K

48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.47 ₫12.1K

465.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$0.79 ₫20.5K

555.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.43 ₫244.1K

110.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.59 ₫15.4K

391.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.01 ₫26.1K

259.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.34 ₫8,884

229.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$6.49 ₫168.0K

1019.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.40 ₫10.3K

435.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.60 ₫15.4K

161.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$3.02 ₫78.2K

182.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.79 ₫20.5K

92.41%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$31.1K ₫804.3M

-30.44%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.1K ₫805.8M

10.90%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$38.33 ₫992.3K

151.21%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$5.82 ₫150.7K

516.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$6.40 ₫165.8K

737.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$22.46 ₫581.6K

218.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.47 ₫193.3K

367.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.00 ₫77.6K

163.00%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$383 ₫9.9M

29.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$23.4K ₫606.3M

-49.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$31.35 ₫811.5K

72.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$15.63 ₫404.6K

254.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$77.6 ₫2.0M

0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$69.2 ₫1.8M

15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$255 ₫6.6M

208.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$163 ₫4.2M

387.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$605 ₫15.7M

551.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$383 ₫9.9M

270.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,599 ₫41.4M

332.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$964 ₫24.9M

27.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$344 ₫8.9M

151.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.64

-0.23%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Binh Duong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Binh Duong

$163 28.7% 79.5% $631

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Binh Duong

$173 30.5% 50.8% $179

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Binh Duong

$55 9.6% 74.2% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Binh Duong

$51 8.9% 72.8% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Binh Duong

$87 15.3% 27.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Binh Duong

$28 5% 67.4% $59

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Binh Duong

$11 2% 87.1% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $255 in Binh Duong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 151% 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 $23.00 in Binh Duong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $173 per month, with Binh Duong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇳 Binh Duong

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

20:53 8:53 PM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

373,105

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, 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).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Binh Duong 17,320 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Binh Duong

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 Binh Duong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Binh Duong differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $568 including rent). Binh Duong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 151% 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 $255 in Binh Duong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Binh Duong – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $568 in Binh Duong – a 224% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $568 in Binh Duong versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Binh Duong but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Binh Duong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Binh Duong 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 Binh Duong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.