Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Nakhon Ratchasima

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $778 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
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Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Nakhon Ratchasima

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $778 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Nosara $1,839
Nakhon Ratchasima $778

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Nosara $2,828
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Nosara $3,818
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773

Living in Nosara is roughly 136% more expensive than in Nakhon Ratchasima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Nakhon Ratchasima is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.85 ฿95.2

333.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$26.19 ฿875

133.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.92 ฿198

27.03%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.90 ฿63.5

132.11%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.53 ฿17.68

228.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.31 ฿10.41

322.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.81 ฿60.6

81.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.70 ฿90.3

65.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.66 ฿55.6

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.22 ฿40.61

147.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.26 ฿42.25

99.21%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.50 ฿50.1

138.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.26 ฿510

-51.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.58 ฿86.1

307.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.27 ฿343

36.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.15 ฿105

-25.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.26 ฿42.10

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.92 ฿64.1

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.93 ฿64.6

-16.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.20 ฿40.12

216.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.04 ฿34.87

254.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.27 ฿42.32

-11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.37 ฿12.50

618.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.84 ฿95.0

82.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$17.86 ฿597

11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.70 ฿57.0

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.99 ฿100.0

21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.46 ฿15.47

143.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$19.17 ฿641

278.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.06 ฿35.51

101.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.09 ฿36.38

44.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.29 ฿244

16.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.33 ฿44.44

14.29%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$45.1K ฿1.5M

-52.05%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.8K ฿894.2K

29.00%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$89.1 ฿2,977

8.09%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.76 ฿393

205.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.28 ฿644

177.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$46.96 ฿1,569

52.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.08 ฿504

131.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.79 ฿160

64.72%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$176 ฿5,868

181.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.2K ฿475.9K

-16.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$50.1 ฿1,674

7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$28.96 ฿968

91.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$77.9 ฿2,604

0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$67.1 ฿2,244

18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$221 ฿7,375

257.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$156 ฿5,221

408.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$487 ฿16.3K

709.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$418 ฿14.0K

239.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,378 ฿112.9K

104.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,699 ฿56.8K

-27.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$592 ฿19.8K

45.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.1

69.02%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$156 20.1% 80.3% $638

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3% 33.2% $117

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$81 10.4% 61.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$120 15.4% 35.3% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13% 16% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$57 7.3% 35.3% $31

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$28 3.5% 68.4% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $221 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 46% 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 $26.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $235 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

05:47 5:47 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

126,391

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Nakhon Ratchasima 17,110 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $778 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $221 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $778 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.