Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kandana

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandana: $507 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 Kandana
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Kandana Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kandana

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$507

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kandana

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $507 in Kandana, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kandana $507

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

Nosara $2,828
Kandana $823

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,140 in Kandana, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kandana $1,140

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.48 LKR 1,485

175.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.62 LKR 8,154

148.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.37 LKR 2,440

2.04%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.40 LKR 794

83.75%

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

$0.27 LKR 90.4

385.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.18 LKR 721

50.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.99 LKR 991

49.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.57 LKR 521

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.52 LKR 174

480.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.78 LKR 259

221.79%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.65 LKR 547

116.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.93 LKR 4,612

-46.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.99 LKR 1,653

110.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.25 LKR 2,401

92.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.73 LKR 2,230

-65.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.80 LKR 267

101.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.42 LKR 1,464

8.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.27 LKR 421

26.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.03 LKR 340

268.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.75 LKR 248

392.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.89 LKR 294

26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.47 LKR 156

465.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.45 LKR 3,461

-50.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.81 LKR 4,573

43.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.96 LKR 650

47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.91 LKR 965

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

$0.38 LKR 125

463.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.37 LKR 124

324.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.90 LKR 297

846.67%

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

$37.7K LKR 12.5M

-42.63%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

-16.26%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$54.9 LKR 18.2K

75.52%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.26 LKR 1,411

742.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.50 LKR 6,789

161.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.35 LKR 1,439

81.38%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$37.07 LKR 12.3K

1232.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,230 LKR 407.2K

864.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$17.89 LKR 5,926

201.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.37 LKR 5,423

238.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$77.8 LKR 25.8K

0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$42.99 LKR 14.2K

85.18%

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

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 Kandana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kandana

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kandana

$239 47.1% 32.2% $114

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kandana

$108 21.2% 49.2% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kandana

$80 15.7% 57.1% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kandana

$70 13.8% 41.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kandana

$8.7 * 1.7% 90.1% $79

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kandana

$2.3 * 0.4% 97.4% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $25.00 in Kandana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $239 – making Kandana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Kandana

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

21:27 9:27 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

15,000

💱 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 Kandana 17,540 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kandana

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 Kandana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 263%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $760 in Kandana. 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 $507 in Kandana. That's a gap of about 263%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $37.07 in Kandana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kandana, where all-in costs run around $507, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kandana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kandana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kandana. 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.