Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pokhara and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Pokhara: $495 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Pokhara
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Pokhara Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Pokhara

🇳🇵 Nepal

$495

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $495 per month in Pokhara vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Pokhara $495
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $758 per month in Pokhara vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Pokhara $758
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,021 per month in Pokhara vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Pokhara $1,021
Nosara $3,818

Pokhara is about 73% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pokhara sits 63% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 NPR 389

$12.35 ₡5,539

-79.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.29 NPR 2,019

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-78.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 NPR 1,014

$7.52 ₡3,373

-11.30%

Cappuccino

$1.08 NPR 165

$4.41 ₡1,978

-75.51%

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

$0.51 NPR 77.9

$1.74 ₡780

-70.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 NPR 23.58

$1.31 ₡587

-87.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 NPR 387

$3.28 ₡1,471

-22.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NPR 542

$4.47 ₡2,004

-20.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 NPR 124

$1.56 ₡701

-47.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 NPR 102

$3.02 ₡1,355

-77.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 NPR 100

$2.51 ₡1,125

-73.71%

Eggs

$1.79 NPR 273

$3.57 ₡1,603

-49.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.74 NPR 872

$7.43 ₡3,333

-22.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 NPR 470

$10.52 ₡4,717

-70.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.66 NPR 860

$13.97 ₡6,265

-59.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 NPR 383

$2.35 ₡1,052

7.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 NPR 190

$1.61 ₡720

-22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 NPR 181

$4.80 ₡2,152

-75.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 NPR 99.5

$1.61 ₡724

-59.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 NPR 62.1

$3.80 ₡1,703

-89.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NPR 131

$3.69 ₡1,657

-76.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 NPR 60.6

$1.13 ₡507

-64.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 NPR 44.57

$2.66 ₡1,191

-89.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 NPR 392

$5.18 ₡2,321

-50.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 NPR 1,662

$19.88 ₡8,916

-44.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 NPR 364

$2.90 ₡1,300

-17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 NPR 574

$3.63 ₡1,626

4.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 NPR 30.36

$1.12 ₡504

-82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.35 NPR 2,940

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-73.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 NPR 241

$2.14 ₡958

-25.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NPR 115

$1.57 ₡703

-51.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 NPR 394

$8.52 ₡3,823

-69.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 NPR 179

$1.52 ₡682

-22.37%

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

$32.5K NPR 4.9M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

50.56%

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

$34.9K NPR 5.3M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

1.00%

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

$64.4 NPR 9,782

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-33.14%

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

$5.20 NPR 790

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-85.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.95 NPR 1,056

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-87.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.67 NPR 2,989

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-72.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.40 NPR 1,276

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-75.94%

Cinema Ticket

$2.48 NPR 377

$7.89 ₡3,539

-68.57%

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

$48.45 NPR 7,362

$494 ₡221.6K

-90.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,976 NPR 300.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-83.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.79 NPR 2,854

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-65.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.53 NPR 5,550

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-34.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.20 NPR 5,348

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-54.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.88 NPR 4,692

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-61.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 NPR 19.4K

$788 ₡353.4K

-83.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.9 NPR 13.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-89.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 NPR 36.4K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-93.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 NPR 24.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-88.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,801 NPR 273.6K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-73.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$603 NPR 91.6K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-50.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 NPR 27.4K

$864 ₡387.3K

-79.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

8.62

45.01%

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

Last update for Pokhara: 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

Pokhara

$152 30.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 132% $200

Accommodation & Living

Pokhara

$86 17.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 824% $708

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pokhara

$77 15.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 143% $109

Eating Out

Pokhara

$76 15.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 179% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Pokhara

$55 11%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 120% $65

Getting Around

Pokhara

$26 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 241% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Pokhara

$25 5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 255% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Pokhara 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 379% 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 $13.00 in Pokhara versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $352 – making Pokhara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Pokhara

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

15:56 3:56 PM

11 h 45 min behind Pokhara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pokhara Nosara 15,620 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Pokhara
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

Pokhara vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $495 in Pokhara, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 271% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $743 per month in Pokhara 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 Pokhara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 275% less in Pokhara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $48.45 per month in Pokhara and $494 in Nosara. 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 Pokhara, where all-in costs run around $495, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pokhara 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 $495 in Pokhara 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 Pokhara. 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.