Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Phan Thiet

For one person, living is cheaper in Phan Thiet: $647 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Phan Thiet
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Phan Thiet Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Phan Thiet

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $647 in Phan Thiet, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Phan Thiet $647

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,070 in Phan Thiet, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Phan Thiet $1,070

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,493 in Phan Thiet, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Phan Thiet $1,493

Nosara costs about 184% more than Phan Thiet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Phan Thiet is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.71 ₫70.3K

355.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.33 ₫603.9K

162.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.46 ₫115.4K

68.61%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$0.59 ₫15.4K

647.46%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.40 ₫10.2K

335.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.21 ₫5,436

523.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.64 ₫16.5K

412.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.25 ₫32.4K

257.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.32 ₫34.0K

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.38 ₫9,834

694.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.91 ₫23.6K

175.82%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.14 ₫29.5K

213.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.95 ₫309.3K

-37.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.05 ₫78.9K

244.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.66 ₫224.2K

61.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.90 ₫49.2K

23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.82 ₫21.3K

96.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.06 ₫27.5K

352.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.19 ₫30.7K

35.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.77 ₫20.0K

393.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.67 ₫17.3K

450.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.59 ₫15.3K

91.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.51 ₫13.1K

421.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.51 ₫39.1K

243.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.43 ₫244.2K

110.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.37 ₫9,708

683.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.58 ₫40.9K

129.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.29 ₫7,633

286.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$5.85 ₫151.6K

1141.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.59 ₫15.4K

262.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.60 ₫15.6K

161.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.70 ₫70.0K

215.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.85 ₫22.0K

78.82%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.3K ₫785.1M

-28.74%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.6K ₫713.7M

25.21%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$44.46 ₫1.2M

116.58%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.64 ₫171.9K

440.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$9.19 ₫237.8K

483.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$24.09 ₫623.6K

197.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.87 ₫203.7K

343.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$1.99 ₫51.4K

296.48%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$214 ₫5.6M

130.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,808 ₫98.6M

211.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$22.86 ₫591.8K

135.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$23.30 ₫603.1K

137.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$38.44 ₫995.1K

102.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$57.7 ₫1.5M

38.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$355 ₫9.2M

122.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$271 ₫7.0M

193.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$756 ₫19.6M

421.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$606 ₫15.7M

134.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,829 ₫73.2M

144.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,195 ₫30.9M

2.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.46

1.89%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phan Thiet: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Phan Thiet

$271 41.8% 65.9% $524

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Phan Thiet

$163 25.2% 53.8% $189

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Phan Thiet

$50 7.8% 76.2% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Phan Thiet

$60 9.3% 67.5% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Phan Thiet

$64 9.9% 46.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Phan Thiet

$28 4.3% 67.9% $59

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Phan Thiet

$11 1.7% 87.8% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $355 in Phan Thiet. 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 Thiet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $163 – making Phan Thiet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇳 Phan Thiet

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

21:55 9:55 PM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

255,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Phan Thiet 17,240 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Phan Thiet

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 Thiet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $647 in Phan Thiet – roughly 184% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $970 in Phan Thiet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1142% less in Phan Thiet. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $214 in Phan Thiet. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Phan Thiet, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Phan Thiet 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 $647 in Phan Thiet 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 Thiet. 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.