Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Sakhon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Samut Sakhon: $923 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Samut Sakhon
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Samut Sakhon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Samut Sakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$923

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $923 per month in Samut Sakhon vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Samut Sakhon $923
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,452 per month in Samut Sakhon vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Samut Sakhon $1,452
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,981 per month in Samut Sakhon vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Samut Sakhon $1,981
Nosara $3,814

Samut Sakhon is about 50% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Samut Sakhon sits 32% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.81 ฿60.3

$12.34 ₡5,535

-85.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.81 ฿595

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-70.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 ฿198

$7.76 ₡3,481

-23.58%

Cappuccino

$1.21 ฿40.53

$4.44 ₡1,992

-72.75%

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

$0.35 ฿11.66

$1.79 ₡803

-80.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.67

$1.29 ₡580

-77.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 ฿63.5

$3.24 ₡1,451

-41.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ฿88.8

$4.43 ₡1,985

-39.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ฿59.5

$1.55 ₡696

14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.60

$3.08 ₡1,380

-51.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.57

$2.53 ₡1,133

-45.06%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿73.9

$3.45 ₡1,546

-35.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.64 ฿523

$7.32 ₡3,284

113.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.61 ฿87.2

$10.24 ₡4,594

-74.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 ฿343

$14.10 ₡6,326

-27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$2.29 ₡1,027

48.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿40.32

$1.64 ₡737

-26.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ฿61.9

$4.79 ₡2,149

-61.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ฿66.1

$1.64 ₡735

20.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.31

$3.85 ₡1,727

-67.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.69

$3.75 ₡1,681

-72.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ฿40.34

$1.09 ₡488

11.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.81

$2.59 ₡1,160

-83.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$5.12 ₡2,295

-17.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.79 ฿594

$19.92 ₡8,931

-10.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.52 ₡1,580

-14.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ฿12.90

$1.22 ₡549

-68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ฿34.38

$2.17 ₡973

-52.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.79

$1.56 ₡698

-27.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ฿117

$8.67 ₡3,886

-59.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ฿40.27

$1.55 ₡697

-22.58%

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

$44.9K ฿1.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

29.97%

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

$26.3K ฿878.9K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.13%

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

$93.8 ฿3,134

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-1.10%

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

$11.39 ฿381

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-68.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 ฿639

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-63.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ฿1,571

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-36.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.47 ฿383

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-67.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 ฿248

$7.91 ₡3,548

-6.32%

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

$622 ฿20.8K

$490 ₡219.9K

26.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿480.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

20.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 ฿1,703

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-7.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 ฿981

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-47.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 ฿3,200

$80.4 ₡36.0K

19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ฿2,580

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 ฿16.2K

$801 ₡359.1K

-39.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 ฿10.2K

$790 ₡354.1K

-61.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 ฿38.4K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-71.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ฿22.7K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-51.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,180 ฿72.9K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-69.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 ฿50.3K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

21.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

8.62

-30.86%

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

Last update for Samut Sakhon: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samut Sakhon

$304 33%

Nosara

$790 43% 159% $485

Groceries & Markets

Samut Sakhon

$246 26.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 42.3% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samut Sakhon

$124 13.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 48.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Samut Sakhon

$114 12.4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 6.2% $7.1

Eating Out

Samut Sakhon

$64 7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 232% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Samut Sakhon

$62 6.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 44.9% $28

Getting Around

Samut Sakhon

$8.2 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 978% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $486 in Samut Sakhon 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 $18.00 in Samut Sakhon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $350 – making Samut Sakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Samut Sakhon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

15:09 3:09 PM

13 h behind Samut Sakhon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,515

4,912

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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 THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samut Sakhon Nosara 17,320 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Samut Sakhon
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

Samut Sakhon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $923 in Samut Sakhon, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 99% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,384 per month in Samut Sakhon 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 Samut Sakhon, 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 $18.00 in Samut Sakhon 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 42% 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 Samut Sakhon, where all-in costs run around $923, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Samut Sakhon 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 $923 in Samut Sakhon 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 Samut Sakhon. 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.