Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Siem Reap

For one person, living is cheaper in Siem Reap: $806 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Siem Reap
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Siem Reap Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Siem Reap

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Siem Reap

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $806 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Siem Reap $806

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,247 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Siem Reap $1,247

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,689 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Siem Reap $1,689

Nosara costs about 128% more than Siem Reap, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Siem Reap is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.43 ៛9,884

408.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.16 ៛98.1K

153.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.81 ៛31.7K

-3.71%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.69 ៛6,857

160.95%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.70 ៛2,854

148.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.43 ៛1,746

204.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.02 ៛4,148

221.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.98 ៛8,045

125.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.14 ៛8,687

-27.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.76 ៛7,159

71.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.87 ៛3,540

188.51%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.72 ៛6,979

107.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.24 ៛61.9K

-51.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.84 ៛11.5K

270.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.20 ៛41.5K

36.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.33 ៛17.6K

-45.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.23 ៛5,008

30.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.68 ៛14.9K

30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.09 ៛4,431

47.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.33 ៛5,415

185.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.12 ៛4,534

229.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.30 ៛5,262

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.79 ៛3,227

236.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.41 ៛5,709

267.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.75 ៛31.5K

156.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.00 ៛4,051

190.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.26 ៛9,162

60.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.97 ៛3,949

15.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$15.14 ៛61.5K

379.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.01 ៛8,169

6.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.01 ៛4,103

55.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.99 ៛20.3K

70.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.31 ៛5,310

16.03%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.8K ៛100.7M

-12.83%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.7K ៛92.2M

52.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$103 ៛417.4K

-6.31%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$5.82 ៛23.6K

516.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$15.37 ៛62.4K

248.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$33.20 ៛134.8K

115.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.27 ៛57.9K

144.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.97 ៛20.2K

58.75%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$283 ៛1.2M

74.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,488 ៛18.2M

164.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$26.69 ៛108.4K

102.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$13.31 ៛54.0K

316.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$68.5 ៛278.3K

13.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$45.31 ៛184.1K

75.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$329 ៛1.3M

139.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$232 ៛940.8K

242.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$669 ៛2.7M

488.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$434 ៛1.8M

226.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,454 ៛10.0M

181.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,099 ៛4.5M

11.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$239 ៛969.1K

261.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.2

-6.30%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Siem Reap

$232 28.7% 70.8% $563

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Siem Reap

$235 29.2% 33.3% $117

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Siem Reap

$77 9.5% 63.8% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Siem Reap

$124 15.4% 33.3% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Siem Reap

$69 8.6% 42.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Siem Reap

$43 5.4% 50.6% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Siem Reap

$26 3.2% 70% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $329 in Siem Reap. 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 262% 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $235 – making Siem Reap the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇭 Siem Reap

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

14:59 2:59 PM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

171,800

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Siem Reap 17,220 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Siem Reap

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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $806 in Siem Reap – roughly 128% 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 $1,209 in Siem Reap. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 380% less in Siem Reap. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $283 in Siem Reap. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Siem Reap, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Siem Reap 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 $806 in Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap. 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.