Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tuy Hoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuy Hoa: $748 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Tuy Hoa
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Tuy Hoa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Tuy Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tuy Hoa

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $748 in Tuy Hoa, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Tuy Hoa $748

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,213 in Tuy Hoa, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Tuy Hoa $1,213

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,678 in Tuy Hoa, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Tuy Hoa $1,678

Nosara costs about 146% more than Tuy Hoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Tuy Hoa is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,498

$2.68 ₫69.6K

355.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$23.49 ₫609.2K

156.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,391

$4.63 ₫120.1K

62.85%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,937

$1.63 ₫42.1K

164.42%

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

$1.72 ₡772

$0.36 ₫9,407

377.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡606

$0.23 ₫5,984

486.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,456

$0.65 ₫16.8K

398.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,014

$1.20 ₫31.2K

273.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.41 ₫36.5K

11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

$0.44 ₫11.4K

620.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,089

$1.04 ₫26.8K

132.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$1.37 ₫35.6K

160.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,342

$11.81 ₫306.3K

-37.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,687

$3.06 ₫79.3K

240.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,143

$11.01 ₫285.6K

24.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,042

$1.96 ₫50.9K

18.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡726

$0.83 ₫21.5K

93.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,133

$1.06 ₫27.5K

347.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡746

$1.19 ₫30.8K

39.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,675

$0.79 ₫20.4K

370.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,608

$0.66 ₫17.0K

440.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡496

$0.79 ₫20.4K

39.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,147

$0.38 ₫9,879

571.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,227

$1.55 ₫40.3K

219.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,001

$11.39 ₫295.4K

75.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,253

$0.61 ₫15.8K

357.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,586

$1.85 ₫48.0K

90.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡536

$0.30 ₫7,659

296.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.4K

$6.60 ₫171.0K

991.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,009

$0.56 ₫14.5K

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡699

$0.59 ₫15.4K

162.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,985

$2.60 ₫67.4K

240.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡706

$0.87 ₫22.7K

80.46%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$30.6K ₫792.8M

-28.67%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$28.3K ₫735.0M

22.21%

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

$93.5 ₡42.0K

$75.2 ₫2.0M

24.20%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$6.65 ₫172.5K

427.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$9.18 ₫238.1K

460.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.1K

$22.53 ₫584.3K

216.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡15.9K

$6.92 ₫179.5K

412.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,528

$1.94 ₫50.3K

304.12%

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

$490 ₡220.2K

$208 ₫5.4M

135.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,820 ₫99.1M

211.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$41.52 ₫1.1M

28.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$24.19 ₫627.3K

130.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$48.70 ₫1.3M

62.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.5K

$80.3 ₫2.1M

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡353.6K

$377 ₫9.8M

108.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡350.8K

$312 ₫8.1M

150.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$759 ₫19.7M

408.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡633.0K

$529 ₫13.7M

165.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,785 ₫72.2M

150.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡540.2K

$1,298 ₫33.6M

-7.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡394.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.46

1.89%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tuy Hoa: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Tuy Hoa

$312 40.6% 60% $468

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Tuy Hoa

$178 23.1% 49.1% $172

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Tuy Hoa

$63 8.2% 70% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Tuy Hoa

$91 11.9% 49.4% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Tuy Hoa

$88 11.4% 27.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tuy Hoa

$26 3.4% 69.7% $61

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tuy Hoa

$11 1.5% 87% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $377 in Tuy Hoa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $23.00 in Tuy Hoa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $178 – making Tuy Hoa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇳 Tuy Hoa

🕒 Local time

22:35 10:35 PM

11:35 11:35 AM

13 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

202,030

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,064 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Tuy Hoa 16,960 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tuy Hoa

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 Tuy Hoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $748 in Tuy Hoa – roughly 146% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,122 in Tuy Hoa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 992% less in Tuy Hoa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $208 in Tuy Hoa. 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 Tuy Hoa, where all-in costs run around $748, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Tuy Hoa 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 $748 in Tuy Hoa 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 Tuy Hoa. 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.