Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Negombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $402 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
Learn more

Negombo Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Negombo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $402 in Negombo.

Nosara $1,839
Negombo $402

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $649 in Negombo.

Nosara $2,828
Negombo $649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $897 in Negombo.

Nosara $3,818
Negombo $897

Living in Nosara is roughly 358% more expensive than in Negombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Negombo is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.48 LKR 1,483

175.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.63 LKR 5,508

267.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.59 LKR 2,516

-0.92%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.23 LKR 406

258.54%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.69 LKR 228

152.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.25 LKR 82.5

424.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.15 LKR 712

52.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.95 LKR 978

51.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.57 LKR 521

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.53 LKR 174

469.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.74 LKR 245

239.19%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.64 LKR 543

117.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.01 LKR 4,642

-46.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.12 LKR 1,366

155.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.00 LKR 1,986

132.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.77 LKR 585

32.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.69 LKR 229

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.23 LKR 738

115.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.19 LKR 395

35.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.73 LKR 242

420.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.81 LKR 267

355.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.93 LKR 308

21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.43 LKR 142

518.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.14 LKR 3,359

-48.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.52 LKR 4,480

47.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.95 LKR 646

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.01 LKR 997

20.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.29 LKR 94.9

286.21%

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

$0.37 LKR 124

324.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.90 LKR 297

846.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.00 LKR 332

52.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.3K LKR 12.3M

-42.00%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-15.50%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$25.65 LKR 8,497

275.40%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.21 LKR 1,395

752.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.85 LKR 6,908

157.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$15.27 LKR 5,059

368.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$9.07 LKR 3,004

284.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$2.45 LKR 813

222.04%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$37.97 LKR 12.6K

1201.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$446 LKR 147.9K

2556.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$8.82 LKR 2,920

511.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.87 LKR 5,586

228.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$36.78 LKR 12.2K

111.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$24.22 LKR 8,023

228.70%

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

$180 LKR 59.7K

379.06%

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 Negombo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Negombo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Negombo

$194 48.4% 44.8% $158

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Negombo

$94 23.4% 55.8% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Negombo

$51 12.6% 72.7% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Negombo

$39 9.7% 67.5% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Negombo

$20 5% 76.9% $67

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.8% 96.1% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 379% 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 $17.00 in Negombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $194 per month, with Negombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Negombo

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

21:25 9:25 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

142,449

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Negombo 17,520 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Negombo

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 Negombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negombo wins on cost – living expenses run 358% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Negombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 379% 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 $37.97 in Negombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negombo – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $402 in Negombo versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Negombo but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Negombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Negombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $402 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Negombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Negombo 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 Negombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 358% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.