Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ratchaburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratchaburi: $944 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ratchaburi
Learn more

Ratchaburi Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ratchaburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ratchaburi

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $944 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Ratchaburi $944

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,573 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Ratchaburi $1,573

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,202 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Ratchaburi $2,202

Nosara costs about 95% more than Ratchaburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Ratchaburi is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.59 ฿120

244.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$35.96 ฿1,202

70.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.10 ฿304

-17.36%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.04 ฿68.1

116.18%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.74 ฿24.78

135.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.30 ฿9.93

336.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.31 ฿77.2

41.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.66 ฿88.8

68.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.78 ฿59.6

-12.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.44 ฿47.98

109.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.39 ฿46.38

80.58%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.22 ฿74.1

60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.32 ฿512

-51.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.56 ฿85.7

310.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.00 ฿334

39.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.48 ฿116

-32.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.21 ฿40.35

33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.92 ฿64.1

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.91 ฿63.8

-15.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.20 ฿40.07

216.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.09 ฿36.40

238.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.22 ฿40.84

-7.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.45 ฿14.99

491.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.30 ฿144

20.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$17.87 ฿597

11.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.76 ฿58.8

64.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.90 ฿96.8

25.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.92 ฿30.82

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.38 ฿46.08

55.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.12 ฿37.58

40.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$3.60 ฿120

136.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.51 ฿50.4

0.66%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$46.1K ฿1.5M

-53.15%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.9K ฿899.0K

28.31%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$90.9 ฿3,037

5.96%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.58 ฿387

209.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.18 ฿641

179.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$46.61 ฿1,558

53.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.27 ฿477

144.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.49 ฿250

5.34%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$628 ฿21.0K

-21.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.3K ฿477.1K

-16.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$50.5 ฿1,686

6.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$29.47 ฿985

88.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$93.9 ฿3,138

-17.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$74.8 ฿2,501

6.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$441 ฿14.7K

78.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$293 ฿9,777

171.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,387 ฿46.3K

184.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$737 ฿24.6K

92.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,969 ฿65.8K

251.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,584 ฿52.9K

-22.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.96

44.63%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ratchaburi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ratchaburi

$293 31% 63.2% $502

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ratchaburi

$244 25.8% 30.8% $109

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ratchaburi

$102 10.8% 52.1% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ratchaburi

$122 12.9% 34.5% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ratchaburi

$112 11.9% 6.8% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ratchaburi

$62 6.5% 29.5% $26

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ratchaburi

$11 * 1.1% 87.7% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $441 in Ratchaburi. 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 $36.00 in Ratchaburi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $244 – making Ratchaburi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Ratchaburi

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

02:02 2:02 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

38,208

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ratchaburi 17,330 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ratchaburi

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 Ratchaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $944 in Ratchaburi – roughly 95% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,415 in Ratchaburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $36.00 in Ratchaburi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 Ratchaburi, where all-in costs run around $944, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ratchaburi 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 $944 in Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi. 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.