Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Phu Quoc

For one person, living is cheaper in Phu Quoc: $730 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Phu Quoc
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Phu Quoc Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Phu Quoc

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Phu Quoc

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $730 in Phu Quoc, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Phu Quoc $730

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,165 in Phu Quoc, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Phu Quoc $1,165

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,600 in Phu Quoc, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Phu Quoc $1,600

Nosara costs about 151% more than Phu Quoc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Phu Quoc is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$1.94 ₫50.3K

536.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$21.47 ₫555.9K

185.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$4.71 ₫122.0K

64.76%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.77 ₫45.7K

150.85%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.50 ₫13.0K

258.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.30 ₫7,877

330.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$0.99 ₫25.7K

227.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$1.50 ₫38.9K

195.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.36 ₫35.2K

13.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.01 ₫26.3K

204.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$0.98 ₫25.5K

158.16%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.41 ₫36.6K

144.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.76 ₫304.3K

-37.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$3.62 ₫93.8K

182.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.15 ₫262.9K

38.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.67 ₫69.0K

-14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.05 ₫27.2K

56.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.29 ₫33.4K

271.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.08 ₫28.1K

51.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.03 ₫26.7K

273.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.05 ₫27.2K

257.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.65 ₫16.9K

67.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.51 ₫13.2K

407.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$1.38 ₫35.7K

271.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$11.26 ₫291.5K

76.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$0.74 ₫19.1K

278.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.59 ₫41.2K

121.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.35 ₫8,958

248.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$6.50 ₫168.2K

1036.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.72 ₫18.7K

201.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.62 ₫16.0K

151.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$2.70 ₫69.9K

221.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.86 ₫22.2K

80.23%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.3K ₫914.1M

-2.16%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$31.6K ₫818.3M

22.60%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$74.4 ₫1.9M

27.46%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$5.96 ₫154.4K

506.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$8.48 ₫219.5K

525.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$21.85 ₫565.8K

237.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$7.84 ₫202.9K

354.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$3.05 ₫79.1K

159.34%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$262 ₫6.8M

87.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.5K ₫297.4M

3.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$41.39 ₫1.1M

32.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$22.91 ₫593.1K

143.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$84.8 ₫2.2M

-5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$74.4 ₫1.9M

4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$359 ₫9.3M

123.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$248 ₫6.4M

218.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$717 ₫18.6M

458.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$527 ₫13.6M

167.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,109 ₫54.6M

234.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,229 ₫31.8M

0.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.1

-5.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phu Quoc: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Phu Quoc

$248 34% 68.6% $541

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Phu Quoc

$191 26.1% 45.5% $159

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Phu Quoc

$62 8.5% 70.8% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Phu Quoc

$89 12.2% 51.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Phu Quoc

$101 13.8% 16.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Phu Quoc

$28 3.8% 68.8% $62

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Phu Quoc

$12 1.6% 86.8% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $359 in Phu Quoc. 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 $21.00 in Phu Quoc. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $191 – making Phu Quoc the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇳 Phu Quoc

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

00:46 12:46 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

144,460

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Phu Quoc 17,530 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Phu Quoc

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 Phu Quoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $730 in Phu Quoc – roughly 151% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,095 in Phu Quoc. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1037% less in Phu Quoc. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $262 in Phu Quoc. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Phu Quoc, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Phu Quoc 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 $730 in Phu Quoc to $1,835 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 Phu Quoc. 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.