Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Phangan: $1,018 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Koh Phangan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,018 in Koh Phangan.

Nosara $1,837
Koh Phangan $1,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,673 in Koh Phangan.

Nosara $2,775
Koh Phangan $1,673

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,328 in Koh Phangan.

Nosara $3,712
Koh Phangan $2,328

Living in Nosara is roughly 81% more expensive than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Koh Phangan is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$4.05 ฿136

201.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$29.43 ฿989

104.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.59 ฿255

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.50 ฿84.2

72.40%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.81 ฿27.09

112.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.45 ฿15.01

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.30 ฿77.4

40.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.41 ฿114

31.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.59 ฿53.5

-1.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.36 ฿45.86

133.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.50 ฿50.5

61.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.05 ฿68.9

74.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$18.36 ฿617

-59.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.17 ฿107

228.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.61 ฿357

28.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.79 ฿93.9

-16.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.54 ฿51.7

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.10 ฿70.5

125.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.95 ฿65.7

-14.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.44 ฿48.39

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.25 ฿41.97

185.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.02 ฿34.39

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.48 ฿16.09

431.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.15 ฿139

19.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$17.24 ฿580

16.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.69 ฿56.7

65.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.63 ฿88.6

34.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.00 ฿67.2

-40.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.60 ฿87.4

-13.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.93 ฿31.19

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$3.37 ฿113

162.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.29 ฿43.20

21.71%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$24.1K ฿809.2K

-9.41%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.1K ฿810.2K

43.72%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$98.9 ฿3,324

-5.48%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$11.05 ฿371

217.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$16.87 ฿567

205.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$53.1 ฿1,784

34.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$10.77 ฿362

229.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.53 ฿253

4.12%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$557 ฿18.7K

-12.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$11.7K ฿392.3K

1.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$64.0 ฿2,151

-16.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$28.52 ฿959

95.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$95.9 ฿3,223

-17.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$86.9 ฿2,922

-9.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$513 ฿17.2K

53.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$321 ฿10.8K

142.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,442 ฿48.5K

167.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$843 ฿28.4K

66.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,420 ฿81.4K

188.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,779 ฿59.8K

-32.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$709 ฿23.8K

23.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.57

54.76%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Koh Phangan

$321 31.6% 58.8% $458

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Koh Phangan

$253 24.9% 27.7% $97

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Koh Phangan

$109 10.7% 48.2% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Koh Phangan

$127 12.5% 29.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Koh Phangan

$124 12.2% 2.9% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Koh Phangan

$68 6.7% 21.8% $19

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Koh Phangan

$15 * 1.5% 82.5% $72

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 $786 in Nosara and $513 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 24% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $29.00 in Koh Phangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $253 per month, with Koh Phangan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

09:53 9:53 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Koh Phangan 17,730 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Koh Phangan

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 Koh Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Koh Phangan differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,018 including rent). Koh Phangan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $786 in Nosara versus $513 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,018 in Koh Phangan – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,018 in Koh Phangan versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Phangan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Phangan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Koh Phangan 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 Koh Phangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.