Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Polonnaruwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Polonnaruwa: $506 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Polonnaruwa
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Polonnaruwa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Polonnaruwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Polonnaruwa

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $506 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Polonnaruwa $506

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $821 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Polonnaruwa $821

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,136 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Polonnaruwa $1,136

Nosara costs about 264% more than Polonnaruwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.44 LKR 1,472

178.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.02 LKR 7,957

154.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.53 LKR 2,495

-0.13%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.39 LKR 792

84.52%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.68 LKR 226

155.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.25 LKR 82.6

424.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.17 LKR 718

51.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.10 LKR 1,026

44.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.56 LKR 516

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.57 LKR 190

429.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.76 LKR 250

230.26%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.59 LKR 526

124.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.60 LKR 4,505

-45.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.88 LKR 1,618

115.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.63 LKR 2,527

83.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.68 LKR 2,213

-64.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.79 LKR 260

103.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.58 LKR 1,517

4.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.21 LKR 402

33.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.04 LKR 343

265.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.82 LKR 271

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.87 LKR 288

29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.43 LKR 143

518.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.41 LKR 3,447

-50.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.63 LKR 4,515

45.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.98 LKR 657

46.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.06 LKR 1,014

18.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.40 LKR 133

435.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.37 LKR 123

324.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.87 LKR 288

879.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.37 LKR 455

10.95%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.3K LKR 12.0M

-40.51%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$41.1K LKR 13.6M

-16.04%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$53.9 LKR 17.8K

78.78%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.26 LKR 1,412

742.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.44 LKR 6,770

162.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.48 LKR 1,485

76.12%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$38.00 LKR 12.6K

1200.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,192 LKR 394.8K

894.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$17.97 LKR 5,953

200.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.63 LKR 5,508

233.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$79.8 LKR 26.4K

-2.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$42.13 LKR 14.0K

88.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.69

-32.07%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Polonnaruwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Polonnaruwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Polonnaruwa

$238 47.1% 32.4% $114

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Polonnaruwa

$108 21.3% 49.2% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Polonnaruwa

$79 15.5% 57.7% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Polonnaruwa

$70 13.9% 41.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Polonnaruwa

$9 * 1.8% 89.7% $78

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Polonnaruwa

$2.3 * 0.5% 97.4% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $24.00 in Polonnaruwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $238 – making Polonnaruwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Polonnaruwa

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

20:30 8:30 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

15,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, 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).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Polonnaruwa 17,530 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Polonnaruwa

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 Polonnaruwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $506 in Polonnaruwa – roughly 264% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $759 in Polonnaruwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $24.00 in Polonnaruwa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Polonnaruwa, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Polonnaruwa 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 $506 in Polonnaruwa 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 Polonnaruwa. 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.