Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Homagama

For one person, living is cheaper in Homagama: $487 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Homagama
Learn more

Homagama Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Homagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Homagama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $487 in Homagama.

Nosara $1,839
Homagama $487

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $744 in Homagama.

Nosara $2,828
Homagama $744

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,000 in Homagama.

Nosara $3,818
Homagama $1,000

Living in Nosara is roughly 277% more expensive than in Homagama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Homagama is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.36 LKR 1,444

183.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.11 LKR 7,985

153.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.76 LKR 2,572

-3.09%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.42 LKR 801

82.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.71 LKR 236

145.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.25 LKR 82.1

424.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.27 LKR 752

44.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.09 LKR 1,023

44.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.88 LKR 291

77.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.56 LKR 187

439.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.52 LKR 172

382.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.60 LKR 530

123.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.94 LKR 4,619

-46.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.33 LKR 1,103

215.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.32 LKR 2,425

90.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.65 LKR 2,202

-64.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.78 LKR 259

106.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.44 LKR 1,470

8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.22 LKR 406

31.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.02 LKR 339

272.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.74 LKR 246

398.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.93 LKR 307

21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.44 LKR 145

504.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.15 LKR 3,363

-48.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.30 LKR 4,074

61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.83 LKR 606

58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.17 LKR 720

67.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.47 LKR 154

138.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.35 LKR 115

511.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.35 LKR 115

348.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.87 LKR 288

879.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.13 LKR 375

34.51%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$13.8K LKR 4.6M

56.13%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.2K LKR 7.0M

63.11%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$20.90 LKR 6,922

360.72%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$3.10 LKR 1,027

1057.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.63 LKR 6,833

159.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$7.48 LKR 2,477

857.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.46 LKR 1,478

76.91%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$37.86 LKR 12.5K

1205.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,189 LKR 393.8K

897.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$17.98 LKR 5,954

200.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$12.20 LKR 4,041

354.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$24.40 LKR 8,082

219.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$27.53 LKR 9,117

189.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$136 LKR 45.1K

478.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$60.0 LKR 19.9K

1224.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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

$150 LKR 49.6K

476.12%

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 Homagama: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Homagama

$60 12.3% 92.5% $734

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Homagama

$217 44.5% 38.5% $136

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Homagama

$109 22.3% 48.8% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Homagama

$45 9.2% 76% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Homagama

$37 7.6% 69.2% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Homagama

$16 3.4% 81.2% $71

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Homagama

$4 * 0.8% 95.5% $83

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 $136 in Homagama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 476% 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 $24.00 in Homagama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $217 per month, with Homagama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Homagama

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

13:34 1:34 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

25,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Homagama 17,560 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Homagama

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 Homagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Homagama is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 277% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 476% 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 $136 in Homagama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $37.86 in Homagama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Homagama – 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.

At $487 in Homagama versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Homagama but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Homagama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Homagama 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 Homagama 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 Homagama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 277% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.