Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Koh Tao

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,038 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,038 in Koh Tao.

Nosara $1,837
Koh Tao $1,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,702 in Koh Tao.

Nosara $2,775
Koh Tao $1,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,367 in Koh Tao.

Nosara $3,712
Koh Tao $2,367

Living in Nosara is roughly 77% more expensive than in Koh Tao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Koh Tao is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.75 ฿126

225.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$27.47 ฿920

119.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.44 ฿249

1.34%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.29 ฿76.7

88.21%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.74 ฿24.85

132.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.42 ฿14.14

221.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.11 ฿70.5

53.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.16 ฿106

41.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.56 ฿52.3

0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.31 ฿43.93

141.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.43 ฿47.89

69.23%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.08 ฿69.6

71.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$18.59 ฿623

-60.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.11 ฿104

235.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.34 ฿346

32.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.70 ฿90.5

-14.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.54 ฿51.7

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.16 ฿72.5

119.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.95 ฿65.2

-14.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.43 ฿48.03

160.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.26 ฿42.12

183.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.06 ฿35.35

3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.51 ฿17.19

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.06 ฿136

21.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$17.40 ฿583

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.67 ฿56.0

67.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.63 ฿88.0

34.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.97 ฿65.9

-39.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.62 ฿87.6

-14.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.91 ฿30.50

70.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$3.48 ฿117

154.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.29 ฿43.27

21.71%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$23.8K ฿796.9K

-8.40%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.3K ฿813.9K

42.48%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$96.6 ฿3,235

-3.29%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$11.14 ฿373

215.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$16.85 ฿564

205.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$54.6 ฿1,827

30.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$11.61 ฿389

205.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.88 ฿264

-0.51%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$547 ฿18.3K

-10.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$11.4K ฿383.3K

3.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$62.7 ฿2,100

-14.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$28.43 ฿952

96.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$96.2 ฿3,220

-17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$88.2 ฿2,952

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$535 ฿17.9K

46.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$354 ฿11.9K

120.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,533 ฿51.3K

151.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$897 ฿30.0K

56.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,660 ฿89.0K

162.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,917 ฿64.2K

-37.37%

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 Tao: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Koh Tao

$354 34% 54.6% $426

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Koh Tao

$252 24.2% 27.9% $98

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Koh Tao

$101 9.7% 51.6% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Koh Tao

$125 12% 30.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Koh Tao

$124 11.9% 3% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Koh Tao

$70 6.8% 19.3% $17

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Koh Tao

$15 * 1.5% 82.7% $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 $535 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $27.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $252 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

20:49 8:49 PM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,382

💱 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 = 2.67 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 = 505 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 = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Koh Tao 17,700 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Koh Tao

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 Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $1,557 in Koh Tao to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $535 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $547 in Koh Tao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,038 in Koh Tao versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Koh Tao 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 Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.