Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Phnom Penh: $1,037 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Phnom Penh
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Phnom Penh Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Phnom Penh

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phnom Penh 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 Phnom Penh and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Phnom Penh $1,037
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Phnom Penh vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Phnom Penh $1,654
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,271 per month in Phnom Penh vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Phnom Penh $2,271
Nosara $3,712

Phnom Penh is about 44% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phnom Penh sits 23% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 ៛16.5K

$12.22 ₡5,509

-66.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 ៛160.5K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-34.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 ៛28.0K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-8.36%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ៛12.2K

$4.31 ₡1,941

-29.93%

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

$1.87 ៛7,572

$1.72 ₡773

8.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ៛2,484

$1.35 ₡608

-54.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ៛3,964

$3.24 ₡1,459

-69.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ៛11.9K

$4.48 ₡2,018

-34.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ៛8,802

$1.57 ₡707

38.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ៛6,506

$3.17 ₡1,429

-49.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ៛4,316

$2.42 ₡1,091

-55.79%

Eggs

$1.73 ៛7,023

$3.57 ₡1,609

-51.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.96 ៛60.6K

$7.43 ₡3,349

101.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ៛16.5K

$10.42 ₡4,697

-60.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ៛37.5K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-32.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 ៛15.7K

$2.32 ₡1,044

66.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ៛6,879

$1.61 ₡728

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 ៛17.4K

$4.74 ₡2,138

-9.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ៛8,646

$1.66 ₡747

28.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 ៛6,549

$3.72 ₡1,679

-56.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ៛5,172

$3.57 ₡1,611

-64.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ៛4,656

$1.10 ₡497

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ៛3,099

$2.55 ₡1,149

-69.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ៛7,883

$4.95 ₡2,232

-60.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 ៛45.4K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-44.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ៛4,165

$2.79 ₡1,256

-63.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ៛7,263

$3.53 ₡1,589

-49.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ៛1,900

$1.19 ₡537

-60.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.74 ៛39.4K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-86.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ៛4,455

$2.24 ₡1,011

-50.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ៛3,954

$1.55 ₡701

-36.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 ៛20.9K

$8.86 ₡3,993

-41.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ៛5,484

$1.57 ₡708

-14.01%

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

$35.5K ៛143.9M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

62.98%

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

$43.9K ៛177.6M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

26.61%

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

$106 ៛431.3K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

13.95%

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

$7.39 ៛29.9K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-78.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.24 ៛102.2K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-50.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.80 ៛165.2K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-42.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.94 ៛44.3K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-69.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ៛20.1K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-36.61%

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

$665 ៛2.7M

$490 ₡220.7K

35.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ៛44.5M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-7.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.67 ៛112.1K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-48.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.26 ៛98.2K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-56.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 ៛363.6K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

13.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 ៛239.3K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-25.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 ៛2.6M

$786 ₡354.3K

-18.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ៛1.5M

$780 ₡351.6K

-52.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 ៛4.7M

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-70.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 ៛3.3M

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-42.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,883 ៛11.7M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-58.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 ៛6.0M

$1,201 ₡541.3K

23.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 ៛1.3M

$876 ₡395.0K

-62.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

8.62

-6.38%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phnom Penh

$370 35.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 111% $410

Groceries & Markets

Phnom Penh

$252 24.5%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 38.9% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phnom Penh

$139 13.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 29.4% $41

Eating Out

Phnom Penh

$110 10.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 89.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Phnom Penh

$90 8.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 33.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Phnom Penh

$51 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 71.6% $36

Getting Around

Phnom Penh

$18 1.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 394% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $639 in Phnom Penh versus $786 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 165% 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 $40.00 in Phnom Penh versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $350 – making Phnom Penh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇭 Phnom Penh

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

19:08 7:08 PM

13 h behind Phnom Penh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,009,264 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇭 Cambodian Riel (៛)

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,050 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,542 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

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).

USD to KHR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phnom Penh Nosara 17,350 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phnom Penh
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

Phnom Penh vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,037 in Phnom Penh, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 77% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,556 per month in Phnom Penh and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 640% less in Phnom Penh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $665 per month in Phnom Penh and $490 in Nosara. 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 Phnom Penh, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Phnom Penh 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 $1,037 in Phnom Penh 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 Phnom Penh. 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.