Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palembang and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Palembang: $615 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Palembang
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Palembang Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Palembang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$615

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palembang and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Palembang and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $615 per month in Palembang vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Palembang $615
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $980 per month in Palembang vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Palembang $980
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,344 per month in Palembang vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Palembang $1,344
Nosara $3,818

Palembang is about 67% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Palembang sits 54% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 Rp 20.4K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-90.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.00 Rp 287.9K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-73.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 Rp 50.8K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-62.50%

Cappuccino

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

$4.41 ₡1,978

-70.75%

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

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.74 ₡780

-51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,503

$1.31 ₡587

-80.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$3.28 ₡1,471

-48.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 Rp 58.9K

$4.47 ₡2,004

-26.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Rp 20.1K

$1.56 ₡701

-28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$3.02 ₡1,355

-61.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$2.51 ₡1,125

-67.33%

Eggs

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

$3.57 ₡1,603

-65.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.24 Rp 130.4K

$7.43 ₡3,333

-2.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 Rp 53.9K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-71.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 Rp 133.9K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-46.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$2.35 ₡1,052

-4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.61 ₡720

-31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.5K

$4.80 ₡2,152

-69.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$1.61 ₡724

-14.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$3.80 ₡1,703

-69.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 35.0K

$3.69 ₡1,657

-47.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

$1.13 ₡507

-42.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,856

$2.66 ₡1,191

-83.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$5.18 ₡2,321

-57.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.49 Rp 386.7K

$19.88 ₡8,916

8.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$2.90 ₡1,300

-35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 Rp 52.9K

$3.63 ₡1,626

-19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 Rp 7,878

$1.12 ₡504

-60.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,526

$2.14 ₡958

-75.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,284

$1.57 ₡703

-74.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 Rp 51.2K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-66.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$1.52 ₡682

-46.05%

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

$23.2K Rp 417.8M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

7.41%

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

$31.6K Rp 568.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-8.47%

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

$71.6 Rp 1.3M

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-25.67%

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

$4.39 Rp 79.0K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-87.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 Rp 345.5K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-64.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.72 Rp 355.0K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-72.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.99 Rp 143.8K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-77.11%

Cinema Ticket

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-63.88%

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

$90.1 Rp 1.6M

$494 ₡221.6K

-81.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,423 Rp 151.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-28.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.78 Rp 770.0K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-20.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 Rp 517.8K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-48.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 Rp 1.3M

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-4.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-12.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 Rp 4.1M

$788 ₡353.4K

-70.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.6M

$794 ₡356.2K

-81.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 Rp 9.6M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-86.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 Rp 6.5M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-74.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,254 Rp 22.6M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-81.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 Rp 15.9M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-27.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$309 Rp 5.6M

$864 ₡387.3K

-64.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

8.62

9.74%

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

Last update for Palembang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Palembang

$194 31.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 81.7% $158

Accommodation & Living

Palembang

$147 23.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 440% $647

Clothing & Footwear

Palembang

$97 15.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 23.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palembang

$95 15.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 95.2% $91

Eating Out

Palembang

$52 8.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 304% $159

Sport & Entertainment

Palembang

$25 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 244% $62

Getting Around

Palembang

$4.3 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1926% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $230 in Palembang versus $788 in Nosara. 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 179% 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 $16.00 in Palembang versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $352 – making Palembang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Palembang

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

07:27 7:27 AM

13 h behind Palembang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,708,413

4,912

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

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).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Palembang Nosara 18,630 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Palembang
Nosara

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

Palembang vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $615 in Palembang, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 199% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $923 per month in Palembang and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palembang, 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 $16.00 in Palembang and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 82% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palembang, where all-in costs run around $615, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Palembang 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 $615 in Palembang 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 Palembang. 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.