Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Can Tho

For one person, living is cheaper in Can Tho: $720 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Can Tho
Learn more

Can Tho Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Can Tho

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Can Tho

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $720 in Can Tho, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Can Tho $720

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,214 in Can Tho, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Can Tho $1,214

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,708 in Can Tho, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Can Tho $1,708

Nosara costs about 155% more than Can Tho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Can Tho is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$1.39 ₫35.9K

787.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$23.12 ₫598.6K

165.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$3.92 ₫101.4K

97.96%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.52 ₫39.3K

192.11%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.52 ₫13.3K

244.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.32 ₫8,363

303.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.04 ₫26.9K

211.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$1.14 ₫29.4K

288.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.39 ₫35.9K

11.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.11 ₫28.7K

177.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$0.78 ₫20.3K

224.36%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.40 ₫36.3K

146.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.95 ₫309.5K

-38.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$3.68 ₫95.3K

178.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.30 ₫266.6K

36.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.94 ₫76.1K

-22.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.29 ₫33.4K

27.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.34 ₫34.6K

257.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$0.81 ₫20.9K

102.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.80 ₫20.8K

381.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.01 ₫26.2K

271.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.75 ₫19.4K

45.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.53 ₫13.6K

388.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$1.25 ₫32.4K

309.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$7.51 ₫194.5K

165.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$0.95 ₫24.7K

194.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.48 ₫38.4K

137.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.34 ₫8,922

258.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$6.32 ₫163.7K

1069.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.48 ₫12.4K

352.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.56 ₫14.6K

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$3.06 ₫79.2K

183.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.91 ₫23.7K

70.33%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.7K ₫795.8M

12.40%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$29.2K ₫754.7M

32.92%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$48.05 ₫1.2M

97.34%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$3.77 ₫97.6K

858.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$9.77 ₫252.8K

443.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$23.50 ₫608.3K

213.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$7.92 ₫205.1K

349.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$3.23 ₫83.6K

144.89%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$193 ₫5.0M

154.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,831 ₫176.8M

74.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$19.58 ₫506.9K

179.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$19.02 ₫492.3K

193.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.7 ₫2.5M

-18.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$417 ₫10.8M

91.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$278 ₫7.2M

184.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$826 ₫21.4M

384.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$676 ₫17.5M

108.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,217 ₫57.4M

218.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,101 ₫28.5M

12.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$162 ₫4.2M

448.58%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Can Tho: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Can Tho

$278 38.6% 64.8% $512

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Can Tho

$187 26% 46.5% $163

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Can Tho

$52 7.2% 75.6% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Can Tho

$62 8.6% 66.5% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Can Tho

$101 14% 16.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Can Tho

$30 4.2% 66.6% $60

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Can Tho

$11 1.5% 87.6% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $417 in Can Tho. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 449% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $23.00 in Can Tho. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $187 – making Can Tho the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇳 Can Tho

🕒 Local time

13:11 1:11 PM

02:11 2:11 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,258,900

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Can Tho 17,450 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Can Tho

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 Can Tho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 155%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,080 in Can Tho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Can Tho, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $23.00 in Can Tho. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Can Tho, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Can Tho it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Can Tho – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Can Tho. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.