Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dili

For one person, living is cheaper in Dili: $1,574 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
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Dili Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dili

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,574 in Dili, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Dili $1,574

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,466 in Dili, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Dili $2,466

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,359 in Dili, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Dili $3,359

Nosara costs about 17% more than Dili, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Dili sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Dili by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.13 $5.13

138.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$42.43 $42.43

41.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.91 $7.91

-4.68%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.18 $4.18

3.11%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.63 $1.63

5.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.76 $2.76

-51.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.57 $2.57

26.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.46 $4.46

0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.37 $2.37

-33.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.52 $2.52

25.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.96 $0.96

152.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.68 $2.68

33.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$2.05 $2.05

262.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$9.41 $9.41

10.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$15.78 $15.78

-13.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.29 $3.29

-29.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.85 $1.85

-12.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.49 $2.49

90.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.26 $2.26

-26.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.24 $1.24

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.15 $1.15

210.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.85 $0.85

29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.98 $0.98

160.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.08 $3.08

60.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.95 $11.95

67.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.19 $2.19

27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.89 $2.89

22.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.24 $0.24

395.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$29.78 $29.78

142.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.52 $3.52

-36.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$3.58 $3.58

-56.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$19.75 $19.75

-55.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.44 $1.44

9.03%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$18.0K $18.0K

21.25%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$16.7K $16.7K

107.12%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$152 $152

-38.42%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$27.49 $27.49

27.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$49.46 $49.46

44.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.17 $6.17

27.07%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,477 $1,477

-66.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$16.1K $16.1K

-26.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$61.0 $61.0

-12.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$30.46 $30.46

83.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$79.3 $79.3

-0.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$60.3 $60.3

30.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$831 $831

-5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$759 $759

2.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,739 $2,739

40.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,504 $1,504

-6.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$3,656 $3,656

-76.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.37

60.52%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dili: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Dili

$759 47.9% 2.6% $21

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Dili

$275 17.3% 21.4% $75

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Dili

$154 9.7% 26.3% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Dili

$179 * 11.3% 0.5% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Dili

$104 6.6% 13.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dili

$62 3.9% 29% $25

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dili

$52 3.3% 40% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $831 in Dili. 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 317% higher in Dili, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $42.00 in Dili. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $275 – making Dili the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇱 Dili

🕒 Local time

20:47 8:47 PM

11:47 11:47 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

222,323 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Dili 16,590 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dili

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 Dili: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,361 in Dili. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $42.00 in Dili. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $1,574 in Dili. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dili, where all-in costs run around $1,574, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Dili it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dili – 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 Dili. 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.