Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gampaha

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $450 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
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Gampaha Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gampaha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $450 in Gampaha.

Nosara $1,839
Gampaha $450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $765 in Gampaha.

Nosara $2,828
Gampaha $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,079 in Gampaha.

Nosara $3,818
Gampaha $1,079

Living in Nosara is roughly 309% more expensive than in Gampaha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Gampaha is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.81 LKR 600

582.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$18.00 LKR 5,961

239.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.20 LKR 1,723

44.62%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.25 LKR 414

252.80%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.54 LKR 178

222.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.27 LKR 89.7

385.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.13 LKR 705

53.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.04 LKR 1,007

47.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 LKR 538

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.43 LKR 144

602.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.73 LKR 241

243.84%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.72 LKR 569

107.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.52 LKR 4,480

-45.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.96 LKR 1,312

165.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.23 LKR 2,394

93.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.92 LKR 1,961

-60.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.81 LKR 269

98.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.41 LKR 1,461

8.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.27 LKR 420

26.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.96 LKR 318

295.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.78 LKR 257

373.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.29 LKR 95.7

289.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.32 LKR 104

731.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.94 LKR 3,294

-47.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.77 LKR 4,231

55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.38 LKR 457

110.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.37 LKR 784

53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.31 LKR 103

261.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.29 LKR 95.8

637.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.36 LKR 120

336.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.90 LKR 297

846.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.18 LKR 390

28.81%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.9K LKR 9.9M

-27.68%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

-14.11%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$27.63 LKR 9,153

248.50%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$2.98 LKR 985

1104.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$10.84 LKR 3,591

394.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$7.56 LKR 2,504

846.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.44 LKR 1,472

77.70%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$15.07 LKR 4,991

3178.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$122 LKR 40.4K

9633.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$17.88 LKR 5,924

201.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$8.90 LKR 2,948

522.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$61.4 LKR 20.3K

26.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$24.29 LKR 8,044

227.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$89.4 LKR 29.6K

781.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$55.5 LKR 18.4K

1331.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$301 LKR 99.8K

1207.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$167 LKR 55.4K

749.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$225 LKR 74.4K

284.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-13.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gampaha: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Gampaha

$55 12.3% 93% $739

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Gampaha

$217 48.4% 38.3% $135

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Gampaha

$65 14.5% 69.3% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Gampaha

$41 9.2% 77.7% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Gampaha

$51 11.3% 57.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gampaha

$16 3.7% 81.2% $71

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Gampaha

$3.3 * 0.7% 96.2% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $89.4 in Gampaha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 284% 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 $18.00 in Gampaha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $217 per month, with Gampaha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

21:25 9:25 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

20,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Gampaha 17,540 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gampaha

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 Gampaha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Gampaha differ by about 309% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $450 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 284% 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 $89.4 in Gampaha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $15.07 in Gampaha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $450 in Gampaha versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha 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 Gampaha 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 Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 309% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.