Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Magelang

For one person, living is cheaper in Magelang: $522 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Nosara, Costa Rica
Magelang, Indonesia
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Magelang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$522
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Magelang

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $522 in Magelang, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,846
  • Magelang $522

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $829 in Magelang, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,833
  • Magelang $829

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $1,136 in Magelang, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,820
  • Magelang $1,136

Nosara costs about 254% more than Magelang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Magelang is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Magelang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.36 ₡5,561
$1.41 Rp 25.6K
776.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.8 ₡27.3K
$8.48 Rp 153.9K
616.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 ₡3,547
$2.54 Rp 46.1K
210.24%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₡1,981
$0.74 Rp 13.3K
494.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡774
$0.32 Rp 5,749
437.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₡602
$0.17 Rp 3,098
688.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.34 ₡1,501
$1.30 Rp 23.6K
156.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 ₡2,042
$2.65 Rp 48.0K
71.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Magelang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ₡737
$1.03 Rp 18.7K
59.22%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 ₡1,422
$1.13 Rp 20.5K
179.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 ₡1,077
$0.75 Rp 13.5K
218.67%
Eggs
$3.47 ₡1,559
$1.18 Rp 21.4K
194.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.13 ₡3,209
$6.45 Rp 117.1K
10.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.32 ₡4,642
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
356.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,285
$6.95 Rp 126.1K
101.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,029
$2.03 Rp 36.8K
12.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ₡729
$1.11 Rp 20.2K
45.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.81 ₡2,164
$1.24 Rp 22.6K
287.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 ₡756
$0.86 Rp 15.6K
95.35%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ₡1,760
$1.00 Rp 18.2K
291.00%
Onion (1kg)
$3.63 ₡1,636
$1.34 Rp 24.2K
170.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡508
$0.80 Rp 14.5K
41.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 ₡1,185
$0.36 Rp 6,478
630.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.02 ₡2,261
$1.92 Rp 34.8K
161.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.71 ₡8,870
$16.50 Rp 299.4K
19.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 ₡1,311
$1.53 Rp 27.7K
90.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 ₡1,593
$2.12 Rp 38.4K
66.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Magelang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 ₡544
$0.29 Rp 5,325
317.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 ₡33.2K
$11.28 Rp 204.7K
553.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.15 ₡967
$0.43 Rp 7,755
400.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡736
$0.32 Rp 5,787
409.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.77 ₡3,948
$2.18 Rp 39.5K
302.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡698
$0.73 Rp 13.2K
112.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K ₡15.2M
$25.4K Rp 460.5M
33.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K ₡17.3M
$28.0K Rp 507.7M
37.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Magelang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.2 ₡42.8K
$46.08 Rp 836.0K
106.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.29 ₡16.3K
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
816.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 ₡23.4K
$19.56 Rp 354.9K
165.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Magelang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.6 ₡30.4K
$13.49 Rp 244.7K
400.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.55 ₡16.0K
$3.64 Rp 66.0K
876.65%
Cinema Ticket
$7.54 ₡3,395
$2.54 Rp 46.1K
196.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Magelang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$496 ₡223.4K
$43.82 Rp 795.1K
1033.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K ₡5.3M
$3,925 Rp 71.2M
199.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Magelang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.1 ₡24.8K
$19.01 Rp 345.0K
190.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 ₡25.2K
$19.05 Rp 345.6K
194.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.8 ₡35.0K
$57.2 Rp 1.0M
35.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.1 ₡35.6K
$51.7 Rp 937.3K
53.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Magelang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$817 ₡367.9K
$226 Rp 4.1M
261.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$806 ₡362.6K
$146 Rp 2.7M
450.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,988 ₡1.8M
$561 Rp 10.2M
610.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₡643.2K
$361 Rp 6.6M
295.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,068 ₡3.2M
$1,159 Rp 21.0M
509.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,197 ₡538.6K
$800 Rp 14.5M
49.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Magelang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$888 ₡399.7K
$170 Rp 3.1M
422.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
7.5
14.93%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Magelang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$806
Magelang
$146 81.8% $659
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$351
Magelang
$165 53% $186
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Magelang
$41 80.6% $172
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Magelang
$70 62.1% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Magelang
$66 45.2% $55
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Magelang
$14 83.7% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$83
Magelang
$19 77.5% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $226 in Magelang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Nosara are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $8 in Magelang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $165 – making Magelang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇮🇩 Magelang
🕒 Local time
11:23 11:23 AM
00:23 12:23 AM
13 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
118,227
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,281 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Magelang 18,250 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Magelang

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 Magelang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Magelang compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,846 in Nosara, $522 in Magelang – roughly 254% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Magelang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $782 in Magelang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Magelang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Magelang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $817 in Nosara.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 113% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $8 in Magelang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Magelang, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Nosara at $1,846. In Magelang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Nosara or Magelang?
Families tend to lean toward Magelang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Nosara or Magelang safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Magelang?
If budget matters most, go with Magelang. 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.

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