Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Wattala

For one person, living is cheaper in Wattala: $574 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Wattala
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Wattala Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Wattala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Wattala

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $574 in Wattala, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Wattala $574

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $954 in Wattala, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Wattala $954

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,334 in Wattala, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Wattala $1,334

Nosara costs about 220% more than Wattala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Wattala is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.74 LKR 1,239

230.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.78 LKR 8,206

146.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.48 LKR 2,479

0.53%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.45 LKR 811

80.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.69 LKR 227

152.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.25 LKR 82.5

424.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.24 LKR 741

46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.97 LKR 985

50.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.57 LKR 519

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.57 LKR 190

429.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.75 LKR 250

234.67%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.63 LKR 541

119.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.60 LKR 4,504

-45.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.79 LKR 1,588

119.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.41 LKR 2,454

88.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.46 LKR 2,140

-63.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.85 LKR 283

89.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.45 LKR 1,474

7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.28 LKR 423

25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.99 LKR 329

283.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.82 LKR 273

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.89 LKR 295

26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.46 LKR 152

478.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.42 LKR 3,450

-50.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.64 LKR 4,188

57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.92 LKR 636

51.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.05 LKR 1,010

19.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.20 LKR 66.2

460.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.37 LKR 123

478.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.34 LKR 114

361.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$0.94 LKR 310

806.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.19 LKR 395

27.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.1K LKR 12.3M

-41.75%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

-15.89%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$58.6 LKR 19.4K

64.35%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$4.23 LKR 1,401

748.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.46 LKR 6,775

161.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$13.64 LKR 4,518

424.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.56 LKR 1,510

665.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$2.99 LKR 990

163.88%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$38.04 LKR 12.6K

1198.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,224 LKR 405.4K

868.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$18.13 LKR 6,006

197.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$16.81 LKR 5,566

229.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$79.8 LKR 26.4K

-2.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$42.41 LKR 14.0K

87.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$105 LKR 34.9K

647.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$60.6 LKR 20.1K

1211.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$242 LKR 80.0K

1530.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$180 LKR 59.6K

688.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.69

-32.07%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Wattala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Wattala

$61 10.6% 92.4% $734

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Wattala

$234 40.8% 33.5% $118

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Wattala

$103 17.9% 51.5% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Wattala

$83 14.5% 55.2% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Wattala

$71 12.3% 41.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Wattala

$20 3.4% 77.5% $68

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Wattala

$2.9 * 0.5% 96.7% $84

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $105 in Wattala. 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 $25.00 in Wattala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $234 – making Wattala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇰 Wattala

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

13:47 1:47 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

30,200

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Wattala 17,540 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Wattala

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 Wattala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $574 in Wattala – roughly 220% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $861 in Wattala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $25.00 in Wattala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wattala, where all-in costs run around $574, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Wattala 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 $574 in Wattala 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 Wattala. 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.