Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quang Ngai and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Quang Ngai: $480 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Quang Ngai
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$480
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $480 per month in Quang Ngai vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Quang Ngai $480
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $747 per month in Quang Ngai vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Quang Ngai $747
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,013 per month in Quang Ngai vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Quang Ngai $1,013
  • Nosara $3,818

Quang Ngai is about 74% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quang Ngai sits 64% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quang Ngai
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$0.92 ₫23.8K
$12.35 ₡5,539
-92.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.42 ₫269.9K
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-82.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.76 ₫123.1K
$7.52 ₡3,373
-36.70%
Cappuccino
$1.33 ₫34.3K
$4.41 ₡1,978
-69.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 ₫8,946
$1.74 ₡780
-79.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17 ₫4,373
$1.31 ₡587
-87.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.37 ₫35.4K
$3.28 ₡1,471
-58.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₫40.0K
$4.47 ₡2,004
-65.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quang Ngai
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ₫40.7K
$1.56 ₡701
0.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.37 ₫9,620
$3.02 ₡1,355
-87.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.79 ₫20.4K
$2.51 ₡1,125
-68.53%
Eggs
$1.52 ₫39.3K
$3.57 ₡1,603
-57.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.68 ₫198.9K
$7.43 ₡3,333
3.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.91 ₫101.2K
$10.52 ₡4,717
-62.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.21 ₫160.8K
$13.97 ₡6,265
-55.55%
Apples (1kg)
$1.91 ₫49.3K
$2.35 ₡1,052
-18.72%
Banana (1kg)
$0.61 ₫15.7K
$1.61 ₡720
-62.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₫33.1K
$4.80 ₡2,152
-73.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 ₫35.3K
$1.61 ₡724
-14.91%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 ₫30.4K
$3.80 ₡1,703
-69.21%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 ₫25.7K
$3.69 ₡1,657
-73.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.32 ₫8,296
$1.13 ₡507
-71.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 ₫11.5K
$2.66 ₡1,191
-83.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.23 ₫31.8K
$5.18 ₡2,321
-76.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.75 ₫149.0K
$19.88 ₡8,916
-71.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₫15.1K
$2.90 ₡1,300
-80.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 ₫20.6K
$3.63 ₡1,626
-78.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Quang Ngai
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 ₫9,364
$1.12 ₡504
-67.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.71 ₫147.7K
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-92.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.61 ₫15.7K
$2.14 ₡958
-71.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 ₫9,614
$1.57 ₡703
-76.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.94 ₫50.3K
$8.52 ₡3,823
-77.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.79 ₫20.4K
$1.52 ₡682
-48.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K ₫801.3M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
43.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K ₫716.3M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-19.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quang Ngai
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$64.7 ₫1.7M
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-32.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.40 ₫165.8K
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-82.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.54 ₫195.1K
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-85.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quang Ngai
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$9.79 ₫253.5K
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-86.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.68 ₫121.1K
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-86.59%
Cinema Ticket
$3.15 ₫81.6K
$7.89 ₡3,539
-60.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quang Ngai
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$135 ₫3.5M
$494 ₡221.6K
-72.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,930 ₫101.7M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-66.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quang Ngai
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$7.66 ₫198.4K
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-85.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$7.66 ₫198.3K
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-86.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.9 ₫2.6M
$77.9 ₡34.9K
28.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$27.47 ₫711.1K
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-65.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quang Ngai
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$180 ₫4.7M
$788 ₡353.4K
-77.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$119 ₫3.1M
$794 ₡356.2K
-85.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$392 ₫10.2M
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-90.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$248 ₫6.4M
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-82.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quang Ngai
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$221 ₫5.7M
$864 ₡387.3K
-74.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7
8.62
-18.79%

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

Last update for Quang Ngai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Quang Ngai
$143
Nosara
$352 146% $209
Accommodation & Living
Quang Ngai
$119
Nosara
$794 567% $675
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quang Ngai
$79
Nosara
$186 136% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Quang Ngai
$64
Nosara
$120 87.1% $56
Eating Out
Quang Ngai
$50
Nosara
$212 328% $162
Sport & Entertainment
Quang Ngai
$16
Nosara
$87 443% $71
Getting Around
Quang Ngai
$9.6
Nosara
$87 806% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $180 in Quang Ngai 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 291% 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 $10.00 in Quang Ngai versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $143 vs $352 – making Quang Ngai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Quang Ngai
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
19:50 7:50 PM
06:50 6:50 AM
13 h behind Quang Ngai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
112,384
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quang Ngai Nosara 16,800 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quang Ngai
  • 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
Quang Ngai vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Quang Ngai and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $480 in Quang Ngai, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 283% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Quang Ngai compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $720 per month in Quang Ngai and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Quang Ngai and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Quang Ngai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Quang Ngai and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 1172% less in Quang Ngai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Quang Ngai and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Quang Ngai and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Quang Ngai, where all-in costs run around $480, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Quang Ngai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Quang Ngai and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $480 in Quang Ngai to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Quang Ngai or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Quang Ngai and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Quang Ngai. 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.

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