Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kalmunai

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalmunai: $506 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 Kalmunai
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Kalmunai Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kalmunai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kalmunai

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $506 in Kalmunai, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kalmunai $506

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $823 in Kalmunai, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kalmunai $823

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,139 in Kalmunai, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kalmunai $1,139

Nosara costs about 263% more than Kalmunai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Kalmunai is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.29 LKR 1,421

187.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.39 LKR 8,078

150.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.68 LKR 2,545

-2.08%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.51 LKR 831

75.70%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.68 LKR 227

155.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.27 LKR 90.2

385.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.15 LKR 711

52.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.97 LKR 984

50.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 LKR 537

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.57 LKR 190

429.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.74 LKR 245

239.19%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.65 LKR 547

116.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.68 LKR 4,530

-45.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.95 LKR 1,639

112.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.49 LKR 2,480

86.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.75 LKR 2,235

-65.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.84 LKR 278

91.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.44 LKR 1,469

8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.28 LKR 424

25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.99 LKR 329

283.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.79 LKR 263

367.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.87 LKR 288

29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.47 LKR 154

465.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.44 LKR 3,459

-50.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.35 LKR 4,423

48.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.92 LKR 636

51.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.91 LKR 964

24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.40 LKR 133

435.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.34 LKR 114

361.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.94 LKR 310

806.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.34 LKR 444

13.43%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.5K LKR 12.1M

-40.86%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

-16.41%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$54.4 LKR 18.0K

76.91%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.12 LKR 1,364

771.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.77 LKR 6,880

158.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.46 LKR 1,477

76.91%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$37.06 LKR 12.3K

1233.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,233 LKR 408.5K

861.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$18.39 LKR 6,090

193.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.50 LKR 5,464

235.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$78.3 LKR 25.9K

-0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$41.64 LKR 13.8K

91.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

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

$152 LKR 50.5K

466.37%

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 Kalmunai: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kalmunai

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kalmunai

$238 47.1% 32.3% $114

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kalmunai

$108 21.3% 49% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kalmunai

$79 15.7% 57.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kalmunai

$70 13.8% 42% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kalmunai

$8.9 * 1.8% 89.8% $78

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kalmunai

$2.1 * 0.4% 97.6% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 466% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $24.00 in Kalmunai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $238 – making Kalmunai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Kalmunai

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

21:26 9:26 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 Kalmunai 17,640 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kalmunai

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 Kalmunai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 263% more than Kalmunai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $760 in Kalmunai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $506 in Kalmunai. That's a gap of about 263%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $37.06 in Kalmunai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalmunai, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kalmunai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kalmunai costs $506 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kalmunai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.