Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Koh Phi Phi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Koh Phi Phi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phi Phi
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Koh Phi Phi Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Koh Phi Phi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Koh Phi Phi $1,930

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,266 in Koh Phi Phi, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Koh Phi Phi $3,266

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $4,603 in Koh Phi Phi, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Koh Phi Phi $4,603

Nosara is about 5% cheaper than Koh Phi Phi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Koh Phi Phi sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Koh Phi Phi by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$6.82 ฿228

79.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$48.47 ฿1,623

24.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$12.83 ฿430

-41.23%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.10 ฿137

5.12%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.36 ฿45.48

26.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.73 ฿24.55

84.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.84 ฿129

-15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.54 ฿186

-19.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.00 ฿67.1

-21.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.72 ฿57.6

84.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.88 ฿63.0

28.72%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.52 ฿84.5

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$23.69 ฿793

-68.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.05 ฿136

157.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$13.17 ฿441

3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.50 ฿117

-33.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.95 ฿65.3

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.71 ฿90.7

74.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.55 ฿85.5

-34.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.82 ฿61.0

104.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.65 ฿55.3

116.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.29 ฿43.10

-14.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.62 ฿20.78

311.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.08 ฿170

-2.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$21.86 ฿732

-8.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.13 ฿71.3

30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.40 ฿114

3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$3.05 ฿102

-60.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$4.13 ฿138

-45.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.48 ฿49.50

4.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$5.21 ฿174

70.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.01 ฿67.3

-21.89%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$37.6K ฿1.3M

-42.03%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$37.9K ฿1.3M

-8.54%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$106 ฿3,556

-12.01%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$12.39 ฿415

183.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$19.02 ฿637

170.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$62.1 ฿2,080

14.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$13.26 ฿444

167.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$9.25 ฿310

-15.24%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$665 ฿22.3K

-26.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$14.0K ฿467.7K

-14.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$67.3 ฿2,252

-20.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$29.94 ฿1,002

86.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$100 ฿3,358

-20.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$90.7 ฿3,037

-13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,569 ฿52.5K

-49.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,007 ฿33.7K

-22.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$4,640 ฿155.3K

-16.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,698 ฿90.3K

-47.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$7,572 ฿253.5K

-7.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$5,505 ฿184.3K

-78.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

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 Phi Phi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Koh Phi Phi

$1K 53.5% 29.1% $227

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Koh Phi Phi

$321 17.1% 8.1% $28

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Koh Phi Phi

$181 9.6% 13.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Koh Phi Phi

$138 7.3% 23.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Koh Phi Phi

$130 6.9% 7.8% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Koh Phi Phi

$81 4.3% 7.4% $6.4

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Koh Phi Phi

$24 * 1.3% 72.7% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,569 in Koh Phi Phi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $48.00 in Koh Phi Phi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $321 – making Koh Phi Phi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Koh Phi Phi

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

15:14 3:14 PM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,500

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Koh Phi Phi 17,980 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Koh Phi Phi

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 Phi Phi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,894 in Koh Phi Phi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi. That's a gap of about 5%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $665 in Koh Phi Phi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Koh Phi Phi at $1,930. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koh Phi Phi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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