Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kurunegala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurunegala: $474 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Kurunegala
Learn more

Kurunegala Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kurunegala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kurunegala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $474 in Kurunegala.

Nosara $1,839
Kurunegala $474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $774 in Kurunegala.

Nosara $2,828
Kurunegala $774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,074 in Kurunegala.

Nosara $3,818
Kurunegala $1,074

Living in Nosara is roughly 288% more expensive than in Kurunegala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Kurunegala is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.85 LKR 612

567.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.62 LKR 8,154

148.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.61 LKR 1,528

63.12%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.39 LKR 792

84.52%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.46 LKR 153

278.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.27 LKR 90.4

385.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.17 LKR 719

51.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.07 LKR 1,017

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.54 LKR 509

1.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.43 LKR 144

602.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.75 LKR 249

234.67%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.58 LKR 522

125.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.00 LKR 4,636

-46.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.79 LKR 1,586

119.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.37 LKR 2,440

89.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.90 LKR 2,285

-65.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.80 LKR 263

101.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.60 LKR 1,525

4.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.26 LKR 419

27.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.03 LKR 341

268.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.76 LKR 251

385.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.88 LKR 290

28.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.44 LKR 145

504.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.10 LKR 3,345

-48.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.78 LKR 4,563

44.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.88 LKR 621

54.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.07 LKR 1,017

18.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.38 LKR 125

463.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.29 LKR 95.8

441.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.87 LKR 288

879.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.05 LKR 349

44.76%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

-40.59%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

-14.17%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$52.9 LKR 17.5K

82.16%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.29 LKR 1,420

736.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$21.07 LKR 6,979

154.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.49 LKR 1,488

75.72%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$38.04 LKR 12.6K

1198.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,220 LKR 404.1K

871.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$18.31 LKR 6,064

194.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.66 LKR 5,517

232.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$78.8 LKR 26.1K

-1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$41.96 LKR 13.9K

89.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

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

$154 LKR 51.1K

460.06%

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 Kurunegala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kurunegala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kurunegala

$238 50.1% 32.6% $115

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kurunegala

$77 16.3% 63.5% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kurunegala

$78 16.5% 57.9% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kurunegala

$70 14.8% 41.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kurunegala

$9 * 1.9% 89.7% $78

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kurunegala

$1.8 * 0.4% 97.9% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 460% 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 Kurunegala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $238 per month, with Kurunegala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Kurunegala

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

19:35 7:35 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

30,300

💱 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

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Between locations

Nosara Kurunegala 17,530 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kurunegala

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 Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurunegala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 288% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 460% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $38.04 in Kurunegala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurunegala – 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.

At $474 in Kurunegala versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kurunegala but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kurunegala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 288% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.