Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Nong Khai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nong Khai: $921 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Nong Khai
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Nong Khai Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Nong Khai

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $921 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Nong Khai $921

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,498 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Nong Khai $1,498

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,076 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Nong Khai $2,076

Nosara costs about 100% more than Nong Khai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Nong Khai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.94 ฿98.4

320.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$22.56 ฿754

171.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.01 ฿234

7.28%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.05 ฿68.4

115.12%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.74 ฿24.89

135.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.37 ฿12.25

254.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.14 ฿71.4

53.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.02 ฿101

48.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.71 ฿57.0

-8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.45 ฿48.31

108.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.30 ฿43.37

93.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.14 ฿71.6

66.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$16.08 ฿537

-53.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.75 ฿92.1

282.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.26 ฿343

36.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.10 ฿103

-24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.04 ฿34.83

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.24 ฿74.9

114.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.90 ฿63.7

-15.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.46 ฿48.85

160.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.07 ฿35.69

244.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.11 ฿37.12

1.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.52 ฿17.34

411.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.35 ฿145

19.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$17.16 ฿574

15.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.71 ฿57.1

69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.80 ฿93.7

29.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.92 ฿30.70

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.25 ฿41.66

71.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.09 ฿36.26

44.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.92 ฿164

73.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.41 ฿47.08

7.80%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$25.6K ฿856.5K

-15.68%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.0K ฿902.6K

27.80%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$82.3 ฿2,749

17.07%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.37 ฿380

215.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.25 ฿643

178.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$46.45 ฿1,552

54.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.94 ฿466

150.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.44 ฿215

22.52%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$571 ฿19.1K

-13.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.6K ฿355.4K

11.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$51.2 ฿1,711

5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$29.04 ฿971

90.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.4 ฿2,552

2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$75.9 ฿2,536

4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$439 ฿14.7K

79.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$299 ฿10.0K

165.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,396 ฿46.6K

182.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$729 ฿24.4K

94.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,942 ฿64.9K

255.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,598 ฿53.4K

-23.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$446 ฿14.9K

93.54%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Nong Khai: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Nong Khai

$299 32.5% 62.3% $495

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Nong Khai

$244 26.5% 30.8% $108

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Nong Khai

$90 9.8% 57.4% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Nong Khai

$113 12.3% 39.2% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Nong Khai

$105 11.4% 12.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Nong Khai

$59 6.4% 32.1% $28

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Nong Khai

$10 * 1.1% 88.1% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $439 in Nong Khai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 94% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $23.00 in Nong Khai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $244 – making Nong Khai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Nong Khai

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

35,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Nong Khai 16,780 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Nong Khai

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 Nong Khai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 100%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,381 in Nong Khai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nong Khai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $921 in Nong Khai. That's a gap of about 100%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $571 in Nong Khai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nong Khai, where all-in costs run around $921, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Nong Khai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nong Khai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nong Khai. 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.