Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pathum Thani

For one person, living is cheaper in Pathum Thani: $785 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Pathum Thani
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Pathum Thani Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Pathum Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Pathum Thani

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $785 in Pathum Thani, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Pathum Thani $785

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,329 in Pathum Thani, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Pathum Thani $1,329

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,873 in Pathum Thani, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Pathum Thani $1,873

Nosara costs about 134% more than Pathum Thani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Pathum Thani is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.79 ฿59.9

589.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$22.25 ฿744

174.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.90 ฿197

27.46%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.73 ฿58.0

154.91%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.42 ฿14.03

314.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.18 ฿6.05

627.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.73 ฿57.7

89.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.13 ฿71.3

109.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.47 ฿49.07

6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.32 ฿44.22

128.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.23 ฿41.03

104.07%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.80 ฿60.2

98.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.52 ฿418

-40.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.43 ฿81.1

332.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.06 ฿403

15.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.60 ฿120

-34.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.96 ฿31.93

67.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.49 ฿83.3

92.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.58 ฿52.8

1.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.97 ฿66.0

92.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.04 ฿34.74

254.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.77 ฿25.70

46.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.44 ฿14.85

504.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.53 ฿151

14.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.87 ฿464

43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.51 ฿50.3

92.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.66 ฿55.6

118.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.60 ฿20.07

86.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.06 ฿35.28

101.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.53 ฿51.1

2.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.76 ฿293

-2.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.16 ฿38.69

31.03%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$17.5K ฿585.7K

23.31%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.9K ฿797.8K

44.60%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$82.3 ฿2,751

16.97%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.23 ฿309

288.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$10.22 ฿341

424.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.61 ฿990

141.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.63 ฿222

19.00%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$196 ฿6,543

152.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.7K ฿357.5K

10.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$5.91 ฿198

812.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$35.81 ฿1,197

54.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.5 ฿2,388

9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$52.8 ฿1,765

50.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$453 ฿15.1K

73.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$263 ฿8,805

201.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,476 ฿49.3K

166.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$738 ฿24.6K

92.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,477 ฿149.6K

54.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,199 ฿73.5K

-44.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$396 ฿13.2K

118.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

115.50%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pathum Thani: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Pathum Thani

$263 33.6% 66.8% $531

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Pathum Thani

$223 28.4% 36.8% $130

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Pathum Thani

$68 8.7% 67.8% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Pathum Thani

$102 13% 45.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Pathum Thani

$75 9.5% 37.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pathum Thani

$43 5.5% 50.9% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Pathum Thani

$11 * 1.4% 87.3% $76

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 $453 in Pathum Thani. 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 118% 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 $22.00 in Pathum Thani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $223 – making Pathum Thani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Pathum Thani

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

05:29 5:29 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

18,320

💱 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 Pathum Thani 17,260 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Pathum Thani

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 Pathum Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $785 in Pathum Thani – roughly 134% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,177 in Pathum Thani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $22.00 in Pathum Thani. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pathum Thani, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pathum Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $785 in Pathum Thani to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Pathum Thani. 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.