Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sakon Nakhon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $847 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Sakon Nakhon
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Sakon Nakhon Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sakon Nakhon

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $847 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Sakon Nakhon $847

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,403 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Sakon Nakhon $1,403

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,958 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Sakon Nakhon $1,958

Nosara costs about 117% more than Sakon Nakhon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Sakon Nakhon is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$1.51 ฿50.5

717.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$14.73 ฿492

316.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$2.98 ฿99.6

160.40%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.47 ฿49.00

202.04%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.68 ฿22.56

163.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.27 ฿9.11

377.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.15 ฿71.9

50.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.13 ฿71.3

107.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.42 ฿80.8

-35.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.33 ฿44.46

131.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.17 ฿39.16

116.24%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.21 ฿74.0

56.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.53 ฿352

-30.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$2.59 ฿86.4

295.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.42 ฿348

35.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.21 ฿107

-28.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.06 ฿35.28

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.23 ฿74.6

114.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.88 ฿62.9

-12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.47 ฿49.16

161.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.45 ฿48.43

158.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.50 ฿16.72

118.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.49 ฿16.33

428.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$4.24 ฿142

20.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$17.95 ฿600

10.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.65 ฿55.1

69.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.90 ฿96.8

21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.87 ฿29.04

40.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.48 ฿49.44

46.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.11 ฿37.18

40.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$6.78 ฿227

27.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.30 ฿43.50

19.23%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.4K ฿814.0K

41.85%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$24.5K ฿817.4K

58.42%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$83.3 ฿2,783

13.84%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$9.84 ฿329

267.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$15.45 ฿516

243.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$46.81 ฿1,564

57.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$14.17 ฿473

151.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$3.50 ฿117

126.00%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$569 ฿19.0K

-13.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.5K ฿349.9K

13.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$19.59 ฿655

179.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$6.64 ฿222

741.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$118 ฿3,960

-32.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$73.5 ฿2,455

6.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$388 ฿13.0K

106.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$286 ฿9,563

175.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,119 ฿37.4K

257.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$768 ฿25.7K

83.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,181 ฿72.9K

223.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,291 ฿43.1K

-4.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$753 ฿25.2K

17.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.57

54.76%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Sakon Nakhon

$286 33.8% 63.8% $503

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Sakon Nakhon

$233 27.5% 33.5% $117

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Sakon Nakhon

$57 6.8% 73% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.8% 41% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11.6% 18.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Sakon Nakhon

$54 6.4% 39.9% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Sakon Nakhon

$11 * 1.2% 88.1% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $388 in Sakon Nakhon. 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 18% 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 $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $233 – making Sakon Nakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

21:05 9:05 PM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

53,100

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sakon Nakhon 16,810 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sakon Nakhon

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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $847 in Sakon Nakhon – roughly 117% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,271 in Sakon Nakhon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakon Nakhon, 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 $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sakon Nakhon, where all-in costs run around $847, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Sakon Nakhon 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 $847 in Sakon Nakhon 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 Sakon Nakhon. 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.