Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulaanbaatar: $1,159 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,159

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ulaanbaatar

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Ulaanbaatar $1,159

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,881 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Ulaanbaatar $1,881

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,602 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Ulaanbaatar $2,602

Nosara costs about 58% more than Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Ulaanbaatar is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

117.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$31.97 MNT 114.9K

88.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.59 MNT 20.1K

34.88%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.35 MNT 8,452

83.40%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.87 MNT 3,130

97.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.62 MNT 2,225

117.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.29 MNT 8,233

41.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.30 MNT 11.9K

35.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.41 MNT 5,064

11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.98 MNT 3,508

223.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.14 MNT 7,672

13.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.11 MNT 7,596

69.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$12.32 MNT 44.3K

-39.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.91 MNT 17.6K

112.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$6.76 MNT 24.3K

102.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.16 MNT 11.4K

-26.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.36 MNT 8,492

-31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

-46.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.72 MNT 2,586

416.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.03 MNT 3,700

246.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.75 MNT 6,281

-37.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.73 MNT 2,610

249.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$1.66 MNT 5,961

198.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

93.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.50 MNT 5,403

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.74 MNT 6,246

102.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.29 MNT 1,045

310.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$16.73 MNT 60.1K

330.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.54 MNT 1,952

314.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.52 MNT 1,863

198.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$6.49 MNT 23.3K

36.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.12 MNT 4,016

40.18%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$27.4K MNT 98.4M

-20.38%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$34.3K MNT 123.1M

1.08%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$71.1 MNT 255.5K

31.42%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$7.56 MNT 27.2K

364.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$13.87 MNT 49.8K

271.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$67.0 MNT 240.7K

6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$17.98 MNT 64.6K

97.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

84.91%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$814 MNT 2.9M

-39.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,372 MNT 30.1M

41.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$81.3 MNT 292.0K

-34.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$45.60 MNT 163.8K

22.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$101 MNT 364.2K

-21.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$184 MNT 661.7K

-57.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$578 MNT 2.1M

36.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$443 MNT 1.6M

76.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,661 MNT 6.0M

132.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$992 MNT 3.6M

41.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,901 MNT 6.8M

266.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$973 MNT 3.5M

23.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$593 MNT 2.1M

47.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.32

-16.47%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Ulaanbaatar

$443 38% 43.2% $337

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Ulaanbaatar

$234 20.1% 33% $115

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Ulaanbaatar

$114 9.8% 45.6% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Ulaanbaatar

$93 7.9% 48.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Ulaanbaatar

$186 15.9% 54.2% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ulaanbaatar

$75 6.5% 13.3% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 75.8% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $578 in Ulaanbaatar. 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 48% 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 $32.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $234 – making Ulaanbaatar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

16:27 4:27 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, 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).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ulaanbaatar 13,460 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ulaanbaatar

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 Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,739 in Ulaanbaatar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 331% less in Ulaanbaatar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $814 in Ulaanbaatar. 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 Ulaanbaatar, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Ulaanbaatar 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 $1,159 in Ulaanbaatar 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 Ulaanbaatar. 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.