Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Varkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Varkala: $385 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Varkala
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Varkala Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Varkala

🇮🇳 India

$385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Varkala

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $385 in Varkala, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Varkala $385

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $612 in Varkala, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Varkala $612

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $839 in Varkala, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Varkala $839

Nosara costs about 376% more than Varkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Varkala is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$2.37 ₹225

420.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$10.35 ₹983

492.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$3.51 ₹333

121.08%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.59 ₹151

179.25%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.37 ₹35.47

383.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.14 ₹13.74

821.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.76 ₹167

84.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.05 ₹290

45.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.65 ₹61.9

138.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$0.49 ₹46.20

528.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$0.71 ₹67.1

256.34%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$0.94 ₹89.0

267.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$5.13 ₹487

42.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$3.04 ₹289

236.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.04 ₹194

12.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$0.70 ₹66.4

134.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$0.94 ₹89.0

409.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$0.53 ₹50.4

209.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.36 ₹33.96

969.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$0.45 ₹42.91

733.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.45 ₹42.97

142.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.31 ₹29.84

735.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.85 ₹366

32.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$7.50 ₹712

165.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.79 ₹170

56.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.80 ₹266

25.71%

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

$5.36 ₹509

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.28 ₹26.45

335.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$8.66 ₹823

753.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.79 ₹75.2

174.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.25 ₹23.73

524.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$1.47 ₹140

489.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.23 ₹116

26.02%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$14.1K ₹1.3M

144.50%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

75.90%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$38.61 ₹3,666

145.58%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$3.52 ₹334

926.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$7.28 ₹691

628.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$16.16 ₹1,534

356.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$7.04 ₹668

406.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$2.92 ₹277

170.89%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$51.7 ₹4,906

849.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,531 ₹145.4K

676.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$23.84 ₹2,264

129.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$25.34 ₹2,406

120.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$42.87 ₹4,070

87.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$30.88 ₹2,932

152.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$126 ₹12.0K

533.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$74.7 ₹7,094

957.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$269 ₹25.6K

1388.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$179 ₹17.0K

689.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,076 ₹102.2K

556.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$607 ₹57.6K

103.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.67

-0.58%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Varkala: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Varkala

$75 19.4% 90.5% $715

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Varkala

$106 27.6% 69.6% $243

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Varkala

$66 17% 69.2% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Varkala

$49 12.8% 73.2% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Varkala

$55 14.4% 54.3% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Varkala

$22 5.7% 75.4% $68

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Varkala

$12 3.1% 86.7% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $126 in Varkala. 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $10.00 in Varkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $106 – making Varkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇳 Varkala

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

06:15 6:15 AM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

50,000

💱 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 = 9.37 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Varkala 17,160 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Varkala

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 Varkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $385 in Varkala – roughly 376% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $578 in Varkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 753% less in Varkala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $51.7 in Varkala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Varkala, where all-in costs run around $385, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Varkala 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 $385 in Varkala to $1,835 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 Varkala. 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.