Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Koh Samui

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Samui: $1,183 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,183 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Koh Samui $1,183

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,939 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Koh Samui $1,939

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,694 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Koh Samui $2,694

Nosara costs about 55% more than Koh Samui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Koh Samui is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$4.36 ฿146

180.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$32.80 ฿1,098

83.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.50 ฿285

-11.29%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.73 ฿91.3

57.88%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.94 ฿31.60

82.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.50 ฿16.59

170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.54 ฿84.9

27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.73 ฿125

20.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.74 ฿58.2

-9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.46 ฿48.79

117.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.56 ฿52.2

55.13%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.10 ฿70.3

70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$19.60 ฿656

-62.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.27 ฿110

218.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.94 ฿366

24.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.96 ฿99.0

-21.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.69 ฿56.5

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.22 ฿74.2

113.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.10 ฿70.3

-20.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.46 ฿48.79

154.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.33 ฿44.53

168.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.11 ฿37.27

-0.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.51 ฿16.97

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.23 ฿142

17.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$18.25 ฿611

9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.74 ฿58.3

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.87 ฿95.9

23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.46 ฿82.5

-51.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$45.15 ฿1,512

59.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.08 ฿103

-27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.06 ฿35.62

46.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$3.89 ฿130

127.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.50 ฿50.3

4.67%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$28.2K ฿944.4K

-22.70%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$27.7K ฿925.9K

25.24%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$102 ฿3,405

-8.11%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$11.78 ฿394

198.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$17.76 ฿595

189.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$54.1 ฿1,812

31.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$11.53 ฿386

207.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.73 ฿259

1.42%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$615 ฿20.6K

-20.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$12.4K ฿415.9K

-4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$61.9 ฿2,073

-13.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$28.96 ฿969

92.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$94.6 ฿3,167

-16.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$88.2 ฿2,951

-10.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$619 ฿20.7K

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$389 ฿13.0K

100.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,761 ฿59.0K

119.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,025 ฿34.3K

37.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,971 ฿99.5K

134.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,176 ฿72.8K

-44.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$397 ฿13.3K

120.82%

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 Samui: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Koh Samui

$389 33.5% 50.1% $391

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Koh Samui

$267 23% 23.5% $82

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Koh Samui

$119 10.2% 43.2% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Koh Samui

$131 11.3% 27.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Koh Samui

$123 10.6% 2.3% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Koh Samui

$70 6% 20.1% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Koh Samui

$63 5.5% 27% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $619 in Koh Samui. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 121% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $33.00 in Koh Samui. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $267 – making Koh Samui the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

11:58 11:58 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

62,110

💱 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 Samui 17,760 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Koh Samui

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 Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,183 in Koh Samui – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,775 in Koh Samui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 31% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $33.00 in Koh Samui. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Koh Samui, where all-in costs run around $1,183, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Koh Samui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $1,183 in Koh Samui to $1,837 in Nosara. 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 Koh Samui. 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.