Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Skardu: $426 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Skardu
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Skardu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Skardu

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$426

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $426 per month in Skardu vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Skardu $426
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $636 per month in Skardu vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Skardu $636
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $847 per month in Skardu vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Skardu $847
Nosara $3,814

Skardu is about 77% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Skardu sits 69% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.84 PKR 509

$12.34 ₡5,535

-85.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.31 PKR 3,132

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-81.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 PKR 1,286

$7.76 ₡3,481

-40.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 PKR 753

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 PKR 1,415

Cappuccino

$1.68 PKR 464

$4.44 ₡1,992

-62.16%

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

$0.31 PKR 84.5

$1.79 ₡803

-82.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 PKR 50.3

$1.29 ₡580

-86.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$1.55 ₡696

-44.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 164

$3.08 ₡1,380

-80.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 PKR 320

$2.53 ₡1,133

-54.15%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$3.45 ₡1,546

-65.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.40 PKR 1,494

$7.32 ₡3,284

-26.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.50 PKR 691

$10.24 ₡4,594

-75.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.02 PKR 1,389

$14.10 ₡6,326

-64.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 PKR 305

$2.29 ₡1,027

-51.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$1.64 ₡737

-67.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 PKR 220

$4.79 ₡2,149

-83.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 153

$1.64 ₡735

-66.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 76.3

$3.85 ₡1,727

-92.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.5

$3.75 ₡1,681

-90.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 PKR 127

$1.09 ₡488

-57.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 104

$2.59 ₡1,160

-85.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.59 PKR 441

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 295

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 PKR 563

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 PKR 580

$5.12 ₡2,295

-58.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 45.37

$1.22 ₡549

-86.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.06 PKR 2,509

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-87.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 343

$2.17 ₡973

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.56 ₡698

-54.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 PKR 506

$8.67 ₡3,886

-78.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.55 ₡697

-23.87%

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

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-44.83%

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

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.33%

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

$87.8 PKR 24.3K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-7.38%

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

$3.60 PKR 996

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-90.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.36 PKR 3,697

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-74.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.33 PKR 4,243

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-79.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.98 PKR 2,208

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-77.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 PKR 1,351

$7.91 ₡3,548

-38.31%

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

$47.71 PKR 13.2K

$490 ₡219.9K

-90.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,082 PKR 299.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-90.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.16 PKR 5,304

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-65.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 PKR 6,793

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-56.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.7 PKR 16.5K

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.15 PKR 9,451

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-56.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 PKR 35.4K

$801 ₡359.1K

-84.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.3 PKR 21.7K

$790 ₡354.1K

-90.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 PKR 69.3K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-93.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.4K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-90.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,070 PKR 296.0K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-84.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 PKR 136.8K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-60.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

50.81%

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

Last update for Skardu: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skardu

$105 24.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 75.6% $79

Groceries & Markets

Skardu

$90 21.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 287% $259

Accommodation & Living

Skardu

$78 18.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 909% $711

Clothing & Footwear

Skardu

$62 14.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 95.6% $59

Eating Out

Skardu

$51 11.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 319% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Skardu

$25 5.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 257% $65

Getting Around

Skardu

$15 3.4%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 512% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Skardu 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 $11.00 in Skardu versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90.0 vs $350 – making Skardu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Skardu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

13:58 1:58 PM

11 h behind Skardu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 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 PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skardu Nosara 14,610 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Skardu
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

Skardu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $426 in Skardu, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 331% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $638 per month in Skardu 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 Skardu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 716% less in Skardu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $47.71 per month in Skardu and $490 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 Skardu, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Skardu 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 $426 in Skardu 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 Skardu. 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.