Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

For one person, living is cheaper in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: $487 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
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Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $487 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $487

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $790 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $790

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,093 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $1,093

Nosara costs about 277% more than Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$1.49 LKR 494

728.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$25.02 LKR 8,286

145.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$7.49 LKR 2,481

3.60%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.54 LKR 840

74.80%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.73 LKR 240

145.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.27 LKR 90.3

377.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.22 LKR 736

45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.00 LKR 993

47.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.62 LKR 537

-4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$0.53 LKR 174

481.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$0.81 LKR 267

212.35%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.65 LKR 546

109.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$13.93 LKR 4,614

-47.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.85 LKR 1,606

111.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$7.54 LKR 2,496

87.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$6.42 LKR 2,125

-64.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$0.87 LKR 288

88.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.37 LKR 1,448

9.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.29 LKR 426

27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.00 LKR 332

285.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$0.78 LKR 259

380.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.88 LKR 291

23.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.45 LKR 149

475.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$10.38 LKR 3,439

-50.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$13.03 LKR 4,317

52.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.89 LKR 626

48.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.00 LKR 994

17.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.38 LKR 125

471.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.35 LKR 115

345.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$0.90 LKR 297

863.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.38 LKR 457

12.32%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$43.0K LKR 14.2M

-19.60%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

-4.28%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$58.3 LKR 19.3K

62.59%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$4.28 LKR 1,418

744.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$20.80 LKR 6,888

155.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$4.59 LKR 1,519

72.33%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$38.36 LKR 12.7K

1178.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,206 LKR 399.5K

885.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$18.46 LKR 6,116

196.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$16.53 LKR 5,474

238.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$42.38 LKR 14.0K

83.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$460 LKR 152.2K

771.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$215 LKR 71.4K

311.53%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$236 48.5% 32.5% $114

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$86 17.7% 59.6% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$83 17.1% 54.7% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$70 14.4% 42% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$9.2 * 1.9% 89.8% $80

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$2.1 * 0.4% 97.6% $87

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 312% 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 $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $236 – making Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

22:34 10:34 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

219,827

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 17,550 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 277% more than Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $730 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, where all-in costs run around $487, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia costs $487 versus $1,835 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. 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.