Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phu Quoc and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Phu Quoc: $730 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Phu Quoc
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Phu Quoc Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Phu Quoc

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$730

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $730 per month in Phu Quoc vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Phu Quoc $730
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,165 per month in Phu Quoc vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Phu Quoc $1,165
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,600 per month in Phu Quoc vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Phu Quoc $1,600
Nosara $3,814

Phu Quoc is about 60% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phu Quoc sits 46% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ₫50.3K

$12.34 ₡5,535

-84.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.47 ₫555.9K

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-64.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 ₫122.0K

$7.76 ₡3,481

-39.30%

Cappuccino

$1.77 ₫45.7K

$4.44 ₡1,992

-60.14%

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

$0.50 ₫13.0K

$1.79 ₡803

-72.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,877

$1.29 ₡580

-76.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$3.24 ₡1,451

-69.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₫38.9K

$4.43 ₡1,985

-66.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 ₫35.2K

$1.55 ₡696

-12.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ₫26.3K

$3.08 ₡1,380

-67.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ₫25.5K

$2.53 ₡1,133

-61.26%

Eggs

$1.41 ₫36.6K

$3.45 ₡1,546

-59.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 ₫304.3K

$7.32 ₡3,284

60.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 ₫93.8K

$10.24 ₡4,594

-64.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 ₫262.9K

$14.10 ₡6,326

-28.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 ₫69.0K

$2.29 ₡1,027

16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.64 ₡737

-35.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ₫33.4K

$4.79 ₡2,149

-73.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₫28.1K

$1.64 ₡735

-34.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$3.85 ₡1,727

-73.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$3.75 ₡1,681

-72.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₫16.9K

$1.09 ₡488

-40.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₫13.2K

$2.59 ₡1,160

-80.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.38 ₫35.7K

$5.12 ₡2,295

-73.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 ₫291.5K

$19.92 ₡8,931

-43.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$2.80 ₡1,255

-73.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₫41.2K

$3.52 ₡1,580

-54.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₫8,958

$1.22 ₡549

-71.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.50 ₫168.2K

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-91.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$2.17 ₡973

-66.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.0K

$1.56 ₡698

-60.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ₫69.9K

$8.67 ₡3,886

-68.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ₫22.2K

$1.55 ₡697

-44.52%

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

$35.3K ₫914.1M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

2.20%

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

$31.6K ₫818.3M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-18.43%

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

$74.4 ₫1.9M

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-21.55%

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

$5.96 ₫154.4K

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-83.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.48 ₫219.5K

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-84.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.85 ₫565.8K

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-70.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.84 ₫202.9K

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-78.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.05 ₫79.1K

$7.91 ₡3,548

-61.44%

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

$262 ₫6.8M

$490 ₡219.9K

-46.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ₫297.4M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-3.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.39 ₫1.1M

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-24.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.91 ₫593.1K

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-59.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ₫2.2M

$80.4 ₡36.0K

5.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ₫1.9M

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-4.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₫9.3M

$801 ₡359.1K

-55.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₫6.4M

$790 ₡354.1K

-68.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-82.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 ₫13.6M

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-62.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,109 ₫54.6M

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-70.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 ₫31.8M

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-0.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

8.62

5.57%

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

Last update for Phu Quoc: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phu Quoc

$248 34%

Nosara

$790 43% 218% $541

Groceries & Markets

Phu Quoc

$191 26.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 83.4% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Phu Quoc

$101 13.8%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 20.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phu Quoc

$89 12.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 107% $95

Eating Out

Phu Quoc

$62 8.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 243% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Phu Quoc

$28 3.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 221% $62

Getting Around

Phu Quoc

$12 1.6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 659% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $359 in Phu Quoc versus $801 in Nosara. 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 $21.00 in Phu Quoc versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $350 – making Phu Quoc the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Phu Quoc

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

13:13 1:13 PM

13 h behind Phu Quoc

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,460

4,912

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phu Quoc Nosara 17,530 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phu Quoc
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

Phu Quoc vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $730 in Phu Quoc, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 151% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,095 per month in Phu Quoc and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1037% less in Phu Quoc. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $262 per month in Phu Quoc and $490 in Nosara. 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 Phu Quoc, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Phu Quoc 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 $730 in Phu Quoc 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 Phu Quoc. 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.