Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Shillong

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Shillong

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $402 in Shillong, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Shillong $402

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $638 in Shillong, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Shillong $638

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $874 in Shillong, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Shillong $874

Nosara costs about 358% more than Shillong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Shillong is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.35 ₹318

268.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$11.44 ₹1,086

434.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.81 ₹457

56.34%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.66 ₹157

165.66%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.41 ₹38.88

324.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.15 ₹13.94

773.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.22 ₹116

168.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.49 ₹331

28.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.61 ₹57.9

155.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.31 ₹29.06

874.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.58 ₹55.4

332.76%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$0.92 ₹86.9

288.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$3.86 ₹366

92.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.43 ₹231

332.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.16 ₹205

8.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.68 ₹64.4

136.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.93 ₹88.4

416.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.52 ₹49.21

209.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.31 ₹29.25

1125.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.35 ₹32.78

954.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.22 ₹20.90

413.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.25 ₹23.68

964.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.11 ₹485

1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.83 ₹458

311.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.28 ₹121

126.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.97 ₹187

84.26%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.78 ₹453

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

$0.74 ₹70.3

189.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.28 ₹26.52

460.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.29 ₹123

560.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.09 ₹104

39.45%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

71.11%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$16.0K ₹1.5M

115.06%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$34.74 ₹3,298

177.17%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$3.29 ₹313

990.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$6.12 ₹581

775.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$9.99 ₹948

616.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.11 ₹486

583.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.10 ₹294

154.52%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$27.65 ₹2,626

1687.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,164 ₹110.5K

918.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$17.41 ₹1,653

209.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$22.11 ₹2,100

150.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$36.74 ₹3,489

112.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$27.45 ₹2,606

190.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$210 ₹19.9K

275.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$131 ₹12.4K

508.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$727 ₹69.0K

442.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$284 ₹26.9K

400.02%

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

$442 ₹41.9K

95.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.38

16.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Shillong

$131 32.5% 83.6% $664

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Shillong

$86 21.3% 75.7% $267

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Shillong

$76 19% 63.9% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Shillong

$44 11% 76.2% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Shillong

$47 11.6% 61.1% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Shillong

$16 4% 81.5% $71

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5% 97.5% $85

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 $210 in Shillong. 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 96% 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 $11.00 in Shillong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $86.0 – making Shillong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇳 Shillong

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

08:09 8:09 AM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

143,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Shillong 16,050 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Shillong

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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $402 in Shillong – roughly 358% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $603 in Shillong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shillong, 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 $11.00 in Shillong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 312% 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 Shillong, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Shillong 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 $402 in Shillong 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 Shillong. 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.