Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Palembang

For one person, living is cheaper in Palembang: $615 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Palembang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$615
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Palembang

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $615 in Palembang, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Palembang $615

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $980 in Palembang, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Palembang $980

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,344 in Palembang, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Palembang $1,344

Nosara costs about 199% more than Palembang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Palembang is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Palembang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$1.14 Rp 20.4K
983.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$16.00 Rp 287.9K
282.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$2.82 Rp 50.8K
166.67%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$1.29 Rp 23.1K
241.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
107.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.25 Rp 4,503
424.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$1.70 Rp 30.6K
92.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$3.27 Rp 58.9K
36.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Palembang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.12 Rp 20.1K
39.29%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.15 Rp 20.6K
162.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$0.82 Rp 14.7K
206.10%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$1.22 Rp 22.0K
192.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$7.24 Rp 130.4K
2.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$2.99 Rp 53.9K
251.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$7.44 Rp 133.9K
87.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
4.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.11 Rp 20.0K
45.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$1.47 Rp 26.5K
226.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$1.37 Rp 24.6K
17.52%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
224.79%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.95 Rp 35.0K
89.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$0.65 Rp 11.7K
73.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.44 Rp 7,856
504.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$2.21 Rp 39.8K
134.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$21.49 Rp 386.7K
-7.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
54.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$2.94 Rp 52.9K
23.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Palembang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$0.44 Rp 7,878
154.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$0.53 Rp 9,526
303.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$0.40 Rp 7,284
292.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$2.84 Rp 51.2K
200.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
85.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$23.2K Rp 417.8M
-6.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$31.6K Rp 568.7M
9.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Palembang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$71.6 Rp 1.3M
34.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$4.39 Rp 79.0K
717.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$19.20 Rp 345.5K
179.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Palembang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$19.72 Rp 355.0K
263.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$7.99 Rp 143.8K
336.92%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$2.85 Rp 51.4K
176.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Palembang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$90.1 Rp 1.6M
448.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$8,423 Rp 151.6M
40.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Palembang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$42.78 Rp 770.0K
26.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$28.77 Rp 517.8K
92.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$74.6 Rp 1.3M
4.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$69.3 Rp 1.2M
14.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Palembang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$230 Rp 4.1M
242.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$147 Rp 2.6M
439.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$532 Rp 9.6M
640.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$361 Rp 6.5M
292.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$1,254 Rp 22.6M
451.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$886 Rp 15.9M
38.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Palembang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$309 Rp 5.6M
179.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
9.46
-8.88%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Palembang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Palembang
$147 81.5% $647
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Palembang
$194 45% $158
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Palembang
$52 75.3% $159
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Palembang
$95 48.8% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Palembang
$97 19.3% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Palembang
$25 70.9% $62
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Palembang
$4.3 * 95.1% $83

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 $230 in Palembang. 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 179% 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 $16.00 in Palembang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $194 – making Palembang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇮🇩 Palembang
🕒 Local time
04:12 4:12 AM
17:12 5:12 PM
13 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
1,708,413
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Palembang 18,630 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Palembang

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 Palembang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Palembang compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $615 in Palembang – roughly 199% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Palembang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $923 in Palembang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Palembang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Palembang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $16.00 in Palembang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 82% 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 is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palembang, where all-in costs run around $615, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Palembang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Palembang?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $615 in Palembang to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Palembang 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 Palembang?
If budget matters most, go with Palembang. 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.

Nosara vs other spots: cost of living compared

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