Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gili Trawangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Gili Trawangan: $948 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Gili Trawangan
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$948
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gili Trawangan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $948 in Gili Trawangan.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Gili Trawangan $948

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,580 in Gili Trawangan.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Gili Trawangan $1,580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $2,213 in Gili Trawangan.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Gili Trawangan $2,213

Living in Nosara is roughly 94% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Gili Trawangan is 30% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
450.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$23.76 Rp 427.7K
158.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$3.74 Rp 67.4K
107.49%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$1.83 Rp 32.9K
142.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$1.09 Rp 19.7K
64.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$0.55 Rp 9,840
134.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
$1.76 Rp 31.7K
84.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
$2.99 Rp 53.8K
48.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$1.16 Rp 20.8K
33.62%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$1.75 Rp 31.6K
76.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
169.15%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
110.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$13.01 Rp 234.2K
-43.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$2.99 Rp 53.9K
242.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$9.03 Rp 162.6K
56.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
-15.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$1.16 Rp 20.8K
41.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$1.77 Rp 31.9K
170.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$1.45 Rp 26.2K
13.10%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$1.37 Rp 24.7K
181.02%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$1.76 Rp 31.7K
113.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$0.74 Rp 13.4K
47.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$0.41 Rp 7,341
531.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$1.73 Rp 31.1K
195.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
$17.33 Rp 311.9K
14.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,255
$1.75 Rp 31.6K
60.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,580
$2.22 Rp 40.0K
58.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Gili Trawangan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$0.21 Rp 3,778
480.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
$7.14 Rp 128.5K
935.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$0.40 Rp 7,268
442.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$0.37 Rp 6,649
321.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$5.09 Rp 91.6K
70.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$0.68 Rp 12.3K
127.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$20.6K Rp 370.8M
67.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$28.0K Rp 503.7M
38.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$69.7 Rp 1.3M
36.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$5.49 Rp 98.9K
558.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$15.46 Rp 278.3K
243.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$39.13 Rp 704.3K
88.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
$12.90 Rp 232.3K
176.20%
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$3.09 Rp 55.6K
155.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$347 Rp 6.3M
41.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$4,182 Rp 75.3M
184.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$38.51 Rp 693.1K
42.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$30.37 Rp 546.7K
84.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$66.6 Rp 1.2M
20.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
14.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Gili Trawangan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$677 Rp 12.2M
18.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$419 Rp 7.5M
88.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$2,150 Rp 38.7M
86.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$1,042 Rp 18.8M
35.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$1,665 Rp 30.0M
324.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$1,371 Rp 24.7M
-9.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
13.78
-37.45%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Gili Trawangan
$419 46.9% $370
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Gili Trawangan
$219 37.5% $131
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Gili Trawangan
$72 65.9% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Gili Trawangan
$91 50.7% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Gili Trawangan
$92 24.4% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Gili Trawangan
$45 49.4% $44
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Gili Trawangan
$10 88.5% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $677 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $24.00 in Gili Trawangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $219 per month, with Gili Trawangan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇮🇩 Gili Trawangan
🕒 Local time
11:06 11:06 AM
01:06 1:06 AM
14 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
1,500
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Gili Trawangan 17,630 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Gili Trawangan

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 Gili Trawangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gili Trawangan cheaper than Nosara?
Gili Trawangan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $1,422 in Gili Trawangan 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.
What is the rent difference between Nosara and Gili Trawangan?
Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $677 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Nosara and in Gili Trawangan?
Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Nosara or in Gili Trawangan?
Dining out is cheaper in Gili Trawangan – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Gili Trawangan?
At $948 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gili Trawangan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gili Trawangan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Nosara or Gili Trawangan more family-friendly?
For families, Gili Trawangan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Gili Trawangan?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Gili Trawangan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Gili Trawangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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