Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Hikkaduwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
Learn more

Hikkaduwa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Hikkaduwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $509 in Hikkaduwa.

Nosara $1,839
Hikkaduwa $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $826 in Hikkaduwa.

Nosara $2,828
Hikkaduwa $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,144 in Hikkaduwa.

Nosara $3,818
Hikkaduwa $1,144

Living in Nosara is roughly 261% more expensive than in Hikkaduwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Hikkaduwa is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$4.45 LKR 1,475

177.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$24.59 LKR 8,144

148.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$7.57 LKR 2,507

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$2.50 LKR 827

76.40%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$0.72 LKR 238

141.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.27 LKR 90.1

385.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$2.16 LKR 716

51.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$3.01 LKR 998

48.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.57 LKR 520

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$0.53 LKR 175

469.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$0.80 LKR 266

213.75%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$1.60 LKR 530

123.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$14.00 LKR 4,636

-46.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$4.88 LKR 1,618

115.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$7.26 LKR 2,405

92.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$6.84 LKR 2,265

-65.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$0.85 LKR 281

89.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$4.46 LKR 1,478

7.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.23 LKR 406

30.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.02 LKR 339

272.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$0.82 LKR 270

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.92 LKR 306

22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.44 LKR 145

504.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$10.32 LKR 3,418

-49.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$13.70 LKR 4,536

45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.89 LKR 625

53.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$3.01 LKR 998

20.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$0.38 LKR 126

463.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$0.37 LKR 123

324.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$0.88 LKR 293

868.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.33 LKR 441

14.29%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-42.76%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-15.62%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

75.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.14 LKR 1,371

766.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$21.01 LKR 6,959

155.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$4.45 LKR 1,474

77.30%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

1213.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

866.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$18.35 LKR 6,077

193.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$16.80 LKR 5,564

229.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

85.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Hikkaduwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9% 32.3% $114

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4% 48.5% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7% 56.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8% 41.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8% 89.8% $78

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4% 97.4% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $25.00 in Hikkaduwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $239 per month, with Hikkaduwa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🕒 Local time

02:28 2:28 AM

13:58 1:58 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

101,342

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Hikkaduwa 17,630 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Hikkaduwa

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 Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 261% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $763 in Hikkaduwa 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $509 in Hikkaduwa – a 261% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hikkaduwa 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.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 261% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.