Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kegalle

For one person, living is cheaper in Kegalle: $594 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Kegalle
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Kegalle Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kegalle

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kegalle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $594 in Kegalle.

Nosara $1,839
Kegalle $594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $865 in Kegalle.

Nosara $2,828
Kegalle $865

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,136 in Kegalle.

Nosara $3,818
Kegalle $1,136

Living in Nosara is roughly 209% more expensive than in Kegalle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Kegalle is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.05 LKR 1,009

304.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.54 LKR 8,130

149.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.47 LKR 2,474

0.67%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.44 LKR 810

80.74%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.47 LKR 155

270.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.27 LKR 90.0

385.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.23 LKR 738

47.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.06 LKR 1,014

46.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.56 LKR 515

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.47 LKR 155

542.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.67 LKR 224

274.63%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.60 LKR 528

123.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.02 LKR 4,643

-47.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.83 LKR 1,599

117.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.37 LKR 2,440

89.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.08 LKR 2,013

-61.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.81 LKR 270

98.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.35 LKR 1,442

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.23 LKR 409

30.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.87 LKR 289

336.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.77 LKR 254

379.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.37 LKR 123

205.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.43 LKR 142

518.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.79 LKR 3,242

-47.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.70 LKR 4,208

56.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.95 LKR 646

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.68 LKR 889

35.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.59 LKR 194

89.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$7.43 LKR 2,461

877.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.35 LKR 115

511.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.35 LKR 114

348.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.87 LKR 287

879.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.37 LKR 455

10.95%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.3K LKR 12.4M

-42.09%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$36.8K LKR 12.2M

-6.27%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$59.7 LKR 19.8K

61.42%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.31 LKR 1,428

732.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$21.15 LKR 7,005

153.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$19.26 LKR 6,381

271.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.06 LKR 4,988

131.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.48 LKR 1,485

76.12%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$38.17 LKR 12.6K

1194.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,222 LKR 404.7K

870.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$18.04 LKR 5,976

199.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$15.02 LKR 4,975

268.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$45.07 LKR 14.9K

72.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$41.44 LKR 13.7K

92.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$119 LKR 39.4K

562.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$91.2 LKR 30.2K

770.57%

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

$181 LKR 59.9K

377.55%

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 Kegalle: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kegalle

$91 15.4% 88.5% $703

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kegalle

$228 38.3% 35.3% $125

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kegalle

$96 16.2% 54.5% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kegalle

$85 14.3% 54.2% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kegalle

$54 9.1% 55.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kegalle

$28 4.8% 67.7% $59

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kegalle

$12 2% 86.4% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $119 in Kegalle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 378% 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 $25.00 in Kegalle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $228 per month, with Kegalle cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Kegalle

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

23:11 11:11 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

17,900

💱 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 Kegalle 17,550 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kegalle

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 Kegalle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kegalle wins on cost – living expenses run 209% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kegalle the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 378% 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 $119 in Kegalle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kegalle – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $594 in Kegalle – a 209% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $594 in Kegalle versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kegalle but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kegalle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kegalle delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $594 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kegalle hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Kegalle 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 Kegalle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 209% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.