Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Samut Prakan

For one person, living is cheaper in Samut Prakan: $886 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Samut Prakan
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Samut Prakan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Samut Prakan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Samut Prakan

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $886 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Samut Prakan $886

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,389 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Samut Prakan $1,389

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,893 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Samut Prakan $1,893

Nosara costs about 108% more than Samut Prakan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Samut Prakan is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.25 ฿109

280.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$15.10 ฿505

305.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.61 ฿254

-1.18%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.43 ฿47.70

208.39%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.51 ฿17.05

241.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.26 ฿8.75

403.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.03 ฿67.8

61.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.02 ฿101

48.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.48 ฿49.36

5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.96 ฿32.07

214.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.87 ฿29.12

188.51%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.74 ฿58.2

105.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.31 ฿412

-39.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.47 ฿82.4

325.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.24 ฿342

36.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.79 ฿59.9

31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.71 ฿23.72

126.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.31 ฿43.92

266.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.17 ฿39.20

37.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.46 ฿48.70

160.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.77 ฿25.72

379.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.82 ฿27.36

37.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.45 ฿14.90

491.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.56 ฿152

13.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.98 ฿300

121.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.03 ฿34.32

181.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.87 ฿62.6

94.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.53 ฿17.76

111.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.69 ฿56.4

26.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.54 ฿51.5

1.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.76 ฿159

78.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.11 ฿37.00

36.94%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$11.9K ฿396.7K

82.05%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.5K ฿785.8K

46.79%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$83.1 ฿2,778

15.84%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.05 ฿302

296.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$16.08 ฿537

233.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$47.11 ฿1,574

51.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.07 ฿470

148.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.55 ฿219

20.46%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$146 ฿4,876

238.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,031 ฿201.6K

96.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$14.97 ฿500

260.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$36.13 ฿1,208

53.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$72.1 ฿2,411

8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$118 ฿3,927

-32.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$469 ฿15.7K

67.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$331 ฿11.1K

139.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,375 ฿46.0K

186.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$720 ฿24.1K

96.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,909 ฿63.8K

262.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,597 ฿53.4K

-23.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$674 ฿22.5K

28.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

187.33%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Samut Prakan

$331 37.4% 58.3% $463

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Samut Prakan

$181 20.4% 48.8% $172

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Samut Prakan

$85 9.6% 59.8% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Samut Prakan

$108 12.2% 41.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Samut Prakan

$108 12.2% 9.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Samut Prakan

$60 6.8% 31.1% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Samut Prakan

$12 * 1.3% 86.8% $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 $469 in Samut Prakan. 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 28% 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 Samut Prakan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $181 – making Samut Prakan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇭 Samut Prakan

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

03:06 3:06 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

50,843

💱 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 Samut Prakan 17,300 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Samut Prakan

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 Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $886 in Samut Prakan – roughly 108% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,328 in Samut Prakan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 95% 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 Samut Prakan, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Samut Prakan 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 $886 in Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan. 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.