Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Binjai

For one person, living is cheaper in Binjai: $638 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Binjai
Learn more

Binjai Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Binjai

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Binjai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,846 in Nosara versus $638 in Binjai.

Nosara $1,846
Binjai $638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Nosara versus $1,029 in Binjai.

Nosara $2,833
Binjai $1,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,820 in Nosara versus $1,421 in Binjai.

Nosara $3,820
Binjai $1,421

Living in Nosara is roughly 190% more expensive than in Binjai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Binjai is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,575

$1.80 Rp 32.7K

586.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$15.06 Rp 273.7K

303.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,557

$2.81 Rp 51.1K

180.43%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,986

$1.33 Rp 24.2K

230.83%

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

$1.72 ₡776

$0.48 Rp 8,725

258.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$0.20 Rp 3,646

570.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,505

$2.49 Rp 45.2K

34.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,048

$3.12 Rp 56.7K

45.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$1.04 Rp 18.9K

57.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,426

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

236.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$0.80 Rp 14.6K

198.75%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

177.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,217

$6.22 Rp 113.1K

14.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,655

$3.15 Rp 57.2K

227.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,302

$7.48 Rp 136.0K

86.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,031

$2.43 Rp 44.2K

-5.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.30 Rp 23.7K

24.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,169

$1.77 Rp 32.2K

171.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

34.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,765

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

179.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,640

$1.96 Rp 35.6K

85.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

39.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$0.39 Rp 6,999

574.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,267

$2.43 Rp 44.2K

106.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,893

$21.59 Rp 392.4K

-8.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,314

$2.01 Rp 36.6K

44.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,597

$3.20 Rp 58.1K

10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

$0.21 Rp 3,857

476.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

$10.00 Rp 181.7K

637.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡969

$0.47 Rp 8,527

357.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$0.36 Rp 6,525

352.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,958

$3.18 Rp 57.7K

175.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

64.89%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$20.3K Rp 369.8M

66.55%

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

$30.1K Rp 547.2M

27.80%

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

38.63%

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

$3.91 Rp 71.0K

828.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

$18.11 Rp 329.1K

187.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

$20.19 Rp 367.0K

234.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

$8.73 Rp 158.7K

307.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,404

$2.88 Rp 52.4K

161.81%

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

$496 ₡224.0K

$105 Rp 1.9M

373.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

$8,060 Rp 146.5M

46.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

$42.93 Rp 780.3K

28.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

$27.03 Rp 491.3K

107.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

$84.1 Rp 1.5M

-7.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

$62.7 Rp 1.1M

26.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡368.9K

$204 Rp 3.7M

301.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.6K

$156 Rp 2.8M

415.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

$495 Rp 9.0M

706.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡644.9K

$411 Rp 7.5M

247.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

$1,207 Rp 21.9M

485.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

$752 Rp 13.7M

59.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.46

-8.88%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Binjai: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Binjai

$156 24.5% 80.6% $649

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Binjai

$194 30.4% 44.8% $157

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Binjai

$60 9.4% 71.8% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Binjai

$91 14.2% 50.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Binjai

$98 15.3% 19.1% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Binjai

$13 2.1% 85.3% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Binjai

$26 4.1% 68.6% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Nosara and $204 in Binjai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $15 in Binjai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $194 per month, with Binjai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇩 Binjai

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

05:24 5:24 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

267,901

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Binjai 18,440 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Binjai

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 Binjai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binjai is about 65% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,769 in Nosara and $956 in Binjai 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: $817 in Nosara versus $204 in Binjai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,846 per month in Nosara versus $638 in Binjai – Binjai is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Binjai runs roughly 86% less than in Nosara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $638 in Binjai versus $1,846 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Binjai but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Binjai 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.

Expats usually find Binjai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.