Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dong Hoi

For one person, living is cheaper in Dong Hoi: $750 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Dong Hoi
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Dong Hoi Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Dong Hoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dong Hoi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $750 in Dong Hoi.

Nosara $1,839
Dong Hoi $750

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,218 in Dong Hoi.

Nosara $2,828
Dong Hoi $1,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,687 in Dong Hoi.

Nosara $3,818
Dong Hoi $1,687

Living in Nosara is roughly 145% more expensive than in Dong Hoi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Dong Hoi is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.06 ₫53.3K

499.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$18.93 ₫490.1K

223.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.62 ₫93.7K

107.73%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.03 ₫26.6K

328.16%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.34 ₫8,876

411.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.32 ₫8,276

309.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.53 ₫13.8K

518.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.27 ₫58.7K

96.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.58 ₫41.0K

-1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.86 ₫22.2K

251.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.02 ₫26.5K

146.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.50 ₫38.9K

138.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.86 ₫333.0K

-42.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.31 ₫85.6K

217.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.59 ₫248.2K

45.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.58 ₫66.7K

-8.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.15 ₫29.9K

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.32 ₫34.2K

263.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.59 ₫41.2K

1.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.13 ₫29.4K

236.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.25 ₫32.4K

195.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.04 ₫26.9K

8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.53 ₫13.8K

401.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.56 ₫40.5K

232.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.66 ₫198.3K

159.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.86 ₫22.3K

237.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.10 ₫54.5K

72.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.34 ₫8,844

229.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$6.65 ₫172.1K

992.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.04 ₫26.9K

105.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.56 ₫14.6K

180.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.38 ₫61.7K

257.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.94 ₫24.4K

61.70%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.8K ₫797.8M

-29.88%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.2K ₫728.8M

22.61%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$66.2 ₫1.7M

45.54%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.21 ₫160.9K

477.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$8.00 ₫207.2K

569.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$22.13 ₫572.8K

223.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.89 ₫204.3K

342.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.09 ₫80.0K

155.34%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$162 ₫4.2M

205.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.7K ₫381.3M

-19.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$44.69 ₫1.2M

20.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$28.03 ₫725.7K

97.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$100.0 ₫2.6M

-22.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$80.7 ₫2.1M

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$408 ₫10.6M

93.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$274 ₫7.1M

190.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$757 ₫19.6M

420.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$620 ₫16.0M

128.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,886 ₫74.7M

139.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,309 ₫33.9M

-6.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$408 ₫10.6M

111.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

23.14%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dong Hoi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Dong Hoi

$274 36.5% 65.5% $520

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Dong Hoi

$192 25.6% 45.6% $161

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Dong Hoi

$50 6.6% 76.6% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Dong Hoi

$80 10.7% 56.7% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Dong Hoi

$114 15.2% 5% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dong Hoi

$28 3.8% 67.6% $59

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Dong Hoi

$12 1.6% 86.4% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $408 in Dong Hoi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 112% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $19.00 in Dong Hoi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $192 per month, with Dong Hoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇳 Dong Hoi

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

01:10 1:10 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

91,601

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Dong Hoi 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dong Hoi

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 Dong Hoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Dong Hoi differ by about 145% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $750 including rent). Dong Hoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 112% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $408 in Dong Hoi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $750 in Dong Hoi – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dong Hoi runs roughly 992% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $750 in Dong Hoi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dong Hoi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Dong Hoi 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 Dong Hoi 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 Dong Hoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.