Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pokhara

For one person, living is cheaper in Pokhara: $495 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Pokhara
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Pokhara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Pokhara

🇳🇵 Nepal

$495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Pokhara

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $495 in Pokhara, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Pokhara $495

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $758 in Pokhara, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Pokhara $758

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,021 in Pokhara, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Pokhara $1,021

Nosara costs about 271% more than Pokhara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Pokhara is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.56 NPR 389

382.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$13.29 NPR 2,019

360.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.67 NPR 1,014

12.74%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.08 NPR 165

308.33%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.51 NPR 77.9

241.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.16 NPR 23.58

718.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.55 NPR 387

28.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.57 NPR 542

25.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.82 NPR 124

90.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.67 NPR 102

350.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.66 NPR 100

280.30%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.79 NPR 273

99.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.74 NPR 872

29.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.09 NPR 470

240.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.66 NPR 860

146.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.52 NPR 383

-6.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.25 NPR 190

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.19 NPR 181

303.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.65 NPR 99.5

147.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.41 NPR 62.1

826.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.86 NPR 131

329.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.40 NPR 60.6

182.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.29 NPR 44.57

817.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.58 NPR 392

100.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.94 NPR 1,662

81.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.40 NPR 364

20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.78 NPR 574

-3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.20 NPR 30.36

460.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$19.35 NPR 2,940

275.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.59 NPR 241

34.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.76 NPR 115

106.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.59 NPR 394

228.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.18 NPR 179

28.81%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$32.5K NPR 4.9M

-33.58%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.9K NPR 5.3M

-0.99%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$64.4 NPR 9,782

49.57%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$5.20 NPR 790

590.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$6.95 NPR 1,056

671.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$19.67 NPR 2,989

263.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$8.40 NPR 1,276

315.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$2.48 NPR 377

218.15%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$48.45 NPR 7,362

919.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,976 NPR 300.2K

500.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$18.79 NPR 2,854

187.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$36.53 NPR 5,550

51.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$35.20 NPR 5,348

121.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$30.88 NPR 4,692

157.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$128 NPR 19.4K

518.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$85.9 NPR 13.1K

824.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$240 NPR 36.4K

1544.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$161 NPR 24.5K

781.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,801 NPR 273.6K

283.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$603 NPR 91.6K

103.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$180 NPR 27.4K

378.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.5

-31.04%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pokhara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Pokhara

$86 17.4% 89.2% $708

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Pokhara

$152 30.7% 56.9% $200

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Pokhara

$76 15.4% 64.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Pokhara

$77 15.5% 58.8% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Pokhara

$55 11% 54.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pokhara

$25 5% 71.8% $63

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Pokhara

$26 5.2% 70.7% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $128 in Pokhara. 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 379% 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 $13.00 in Pokhara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $152 – making Pokhara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇵 Pokhara

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

05:08 5:08 AM

11 h 45 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

500,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, 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).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Pokhara 15,620 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Pokhara

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 Pokhara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $495 in Pokhara – roughly 271% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $743 in Pokhara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 275% less in Pokhara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $48.45 in Pokhara. 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 Pokhara, where all-in costs run around $495, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pokhara 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 $495 in Pokhara 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 Pokhara. 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.