Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chanthaburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chanthaburi: $965 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Chanthaburi
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Chanthaburi Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Chanthaburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chanthaburi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $965 in Chanthaburi.

Nosara $1,839
Chanthaburi $965

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,594 in Chanthaburi.

Nosara $2,828
Chanthaburi $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,224 in Chanthaburi.

Nosara $3,818
Chanthaburi $2,224

Living in Nosara is roughly 91% more expensive than in Chanthaburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Chanthaburi is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.18 ฿39.32

946.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$35.45 ฿1,185

72.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.15 ฿239

5.17%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.52 ฿50.8

190.13%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.52 ฿17.25

234.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.29 ฿9.60

351.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.67 ฿55.8

96.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.40 ฿147

1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.52 ฿51.0

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.47 ฿48.97

105.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.87 ฿29.09

188.51%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.05 ฿68.7

74.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$17.05 ฿570

-56.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.69 ฿123

185.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.08 ฿437

6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.92 ฿131

-40.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.80 ฿60.1

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.81 ฿93.9

70.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.90 ฿63.3

-15.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.17 ฿39.14

224.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.56 ฿52.2

136.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.24 ฿41.41

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.54 ฿18.21

392.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.50 ฿150

15.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.75 ฿493

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.71 ฿57.1

69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.29 ฿110

10.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.87 ฿29.23

28.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$88.7 ฿2,964

-18.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.01 ฿33.74

111.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.06 ฿35.26

48.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.87 ฿196

45.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.20 ฿40.01

26.67%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$31.1K ฿1.0M

-30.41%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.3K ฿779.2K

48.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$106 ฿3,547

-9.26%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$3.58 ฿120

902.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$10.22 ฿342

424.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$46.50 ฿1,554

53.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.30 ฿478

144.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.30 ฿177

48.87%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$578 ฿19.3K

-14.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.6K ฿555.3K

-28.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$7.38 ฿247

630.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$35.89 ฿1,199

54.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$67.6 ฿2,260

15.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$20.82 ฿696

282.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$440 ฿14.7K

79.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$296 ฿9,906

167.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,368 ฿45.7K

187.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$727 ฿24.3K

95.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

261.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,552 ฿51.9K

-21.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.25

64.19%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chanthaburi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Chanthaburi

$296 30.7% 62.7% $498

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Chanthaburi

$264 27.4% 25% $88

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Chanthaburi

$69 7.2% 67.2% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Chanthaburi

$120 12.4% 35.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Chanthaburi

$59 6.1% 50.6% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chanthaburi

$57 5.9% 34.6% $30

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Chanthaburi

$98 10.2% 13.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $440 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $35.00 in Chanthaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $264 per month, with Chanthaburi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Chanthaburi

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

09:24 9:24 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

27,602

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chanthaburi 17,360 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chanthaburi

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 Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Chanthaburi differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $965 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,447 in Chanthaburi 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 $440 in Chanthaburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chanthaburi runs roughly 22% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $578 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $965 in Chanthaburi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chanthaburi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.