Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Surat

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $806 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
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Surat Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Surat

🇮🇳 India

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Surat

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $806 in Surat, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Surat $806

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $826 in Surat, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Surat $826

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $847 in Surat, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Surat $847

Nosara costs about 128% more than Surat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Surat is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.18 ₹307

284.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$10.40 ₹1,006

478.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$3.14 ₹304

140.13%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.83 ₹177

135.52%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.36 ₹34.38

377.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.15 ₹14.56

800.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.92 ₹282

10.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.19 ₹309

40.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.73 ₹70.9

115.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.47 ₹45.50

574.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.66 ₹63.5

266.67%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$0.95 ₹91.5

275.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$4.34 ₹420

71.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$2.73 ₹265

281.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.70 ₹164

36.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.62 ₹59.6

159.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$0.80 ₹77.4

492.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.54 ₹52.2

207.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.35 ₹33.56

962.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.43 ₹41.73

730.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.48 ₹46.59

129.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.30 ₹28.89

750.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.12 ₹495

-3.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$7.60 ₹735

163.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.86 ₹180

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.01 ₹291

17.28%

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

$6.06 ₹586

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.22 ₹21.19

440.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$5.27 ₹510

1267.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.59 ₹57.2

279.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.22 ₹21.32

604.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$1.07 ₹103

728.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.13 ₹110

38.94%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$12.1K ₹1.2M

79.45%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$18.3K ₹1.8M

88.94%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$36.72 ₹3,554

154.49%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$3.64 ₹353

864.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$7.44 ₹720

592.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$18.59 ₹1,799

284.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$5.16 ₹499

586.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$2.88 ₹278

172.22%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$33.35 ₹3,227

1367.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$891 ₹86.2K

1233.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$22.51 ₹2,179

137.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$24.53 ₹2,374

127.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$40.90 ₹3,958

93.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$32.42 ₹3,137

143.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$216 ₹20.9K

263.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$499 ₹48.3K

56.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$375 ₹36.3K

930.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$201 ₹19.5K

599.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$660 ₹63.8K

956.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$309 ₹29.9K

288.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$313 ₹30.3K

179.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.17

-6.00%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Surat: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Surat

$499 61.3% 36% $281

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Surat

$101 12.4% 71.1% $248

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Surat

$80 9.8% 61.9% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Surat

$48 5.9% 73.4% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Surat

$54 6.7% 55% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Surat

$24 3% 72% $63

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Surat

$7.8 1% 91% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $216 in Surat. 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 180% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $10.00 in Surat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $101 – making Surat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇳 Surat

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

08:41 8:41 AM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

6,936,534

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Surat 15,830 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Surat

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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $806 in Surat – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,209 in Surat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1268% less in Surat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $33.35 in Surat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Surat, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Surat 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 Surat to $1,837 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 Surat. 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.