Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Phan Rang

For one person, living is cheaper in Phan Rang: $707 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Phan Rang
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Phan Rang Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Phan Rang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Phan Rang

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $707 in Phan Rang, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Phan Rang $707

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,161 in Phan Rang, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Phan Rang $1,161

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,615 in Phan Rang, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Phan Rang $1,615

Nosara costs about 160% more than Phan Rang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Phan Rang is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.18 ₫30.6K

946.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.16 ₫599.5K

164.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.47 ₫115.8K

68.23%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.72 ₫44.4K

156.40%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.52 ₫13.6K

234.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.26 ₫6,667

403.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.06 ₫27.4K

209.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.70 ₫44.0K

162.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.19 ₫30.8K

31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.05 ₫27.3K

187.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.99 ₫25.7K

153.54%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.22 ₫31.6K

192.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.75 ₫148.9K

29.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.55 ₫91.9K

196.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.60 ₫145.1K

149.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.61 ₫67.7K

-9.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.30 ₫33.6K

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.62 ₫41.9K

196.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.30 ₫33.6K

23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.22 ₫31.5K

211.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.18 ₫30.6K

212.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.76 ₫19.7K

48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.36 ₫9,356

638.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.26 ₫32.7K

311.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.23 ₫316.7K

62.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.60 ₫15.4K

383.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.01 ₫26.1K

259.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.31 ₫8,128

261.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$6.37 ₫164.9K

1040.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.75 ₫19.4K

185.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.61 ₫15.7K

157.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$3.06 ₫79.2K

178.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.89 ₫23.1K

70.79%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.1K ₫780.5M

-28.33%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.0K ₫802.8M

11.32%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$37.90 ₫981.1K

154.06%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$5.66 ₫146.6K

534.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$8.37 ₫216.7K

540.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$22.32 ₫577.8K

220.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.65 ₫198.0K

356.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.42 ₫88.6K

130.70%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$234 ₫6.1M

111.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$23.1K ₫597.5M

-48.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$51.0 ₫1.3M

5.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$34.52 ₫893.6K

60.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$91.6 ₫2.4M

-14.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$95.8 ₫2.5M

-16.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$399 ₫10.3M

97.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$277 ₫7.2M

186.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$756 ₫19.6M

421.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$611 ₫15.8M

132.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,891 ₫74.8M

139.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,286 ₫33.3M

-4.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.64

-0.23%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phan Rang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Phan Rang

$277 39.2% 65.1% $517

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Phan Rang

$160 22.6% 54.6% $192

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Phan Rang

$55 7.8% 73.9% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Phan Rang

$52 7.3% 72% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Phan Rang

$123 17.4% 2.2% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Phan Rang

$29 4.1% 66.6% $58

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Phan Rang

$11 1.6% 86.9% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $399 in Phan Rang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $23.00 in Phan Rang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $160 – making Phan Rang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇳 Phan Rang

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

22:36 10:36 PM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

207,998

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, 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).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Phan Rang 17,120 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Phan Rang

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 Phan Rang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $707 in Phan Rang – roughly 160% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,061 in Phan Rang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1040% less in Phan Rang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $234 in Phan Rang. 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 Phan Rang, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Phan Rang 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 $707 in Phan Rang 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 Phan Rang. 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.