Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surakarta and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $509 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
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Surakarta Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$509

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $509 per month in Surakarta vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Surakarta $509
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $817 per month in Surakarta vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Surakarta $817
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,124 per month in Surakarta vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Surakarta $1,124
Nosara $3,818

Surakarta is about 72% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Surakarta sits 62% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.63 Rp 29.4K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-86.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.59 Rp 208.7K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-81.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 Rp 57.6K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-57.45%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

$4.41 ₡1,978

-64.85%

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

$0.54 Rp 9,772

$1.74 ₡780

-68.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$1.31 ₡587

-80.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$3.28 ₡1,471

-57.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

$4.47 ₡2,004

-38.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$1.56 ₡701

-44.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$3.02 ₡1,355

-75.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$2.51 ₡1,125

-69.32%

Eggs

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

$3.57 ₡1,603

-73.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 Rp 137.2K

$7.43 ₡3,333

2.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-83.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.40 Rp 97.3K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-61.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

$2.35 ₡1,052

-14.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.61 ₡720

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

$4.80 ₡2,152

-62.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$1.61 ₡724

-14.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$3.80 ₡1,703

-63.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

$3.69 ₡1,657

-54.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

$1.13 ₡507

-48.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,732

$2.66 ₡1,191

-83.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 Rp 35.5K

$5.18 ₡2,321

-61.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 Rp 151.9K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-57.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$3.63 ₡1,626

-20.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 Rp 7,244

$1.12 ₡504

-64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.88 Rp 393.8K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-69.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,071

$2.14 ₡958

-76.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,709

$1.57 ₡703

-72.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 Rp 48.3K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-68.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.52 ₡682

-50.00%

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

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

13.29%

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

$32.3K Rp 582.1M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-6.32%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-19.48%

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

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-94.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.23 Rp 328.2K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-65.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.74 Rp 283.3K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-78.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.3K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-75.91%

Cinema Ticket

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-75.54%

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

$33.42 Rp 601.5K

$494 ₡221.6K

-93.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,845 Rp 33.2M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-84.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

$53.9 ₡24.2K

9.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 Rp 642.0K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-35.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-9.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$788 ₡353.4K

-78.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

$794 ₡356.2K

-92.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 Rp 6.1M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-91.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 Rp 3.5M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-86.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$158 Rp 2.8M

$864 ₡387.3K

-81.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.62

-12.99%

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

Last update for Surakarta: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surakarta

$148 29.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 138% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Surakarta

$103 20.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 16.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surakarta

$98 19.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 89.8% $88

Eating Out

Surakarta

$57 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 272% $155

Accommodation & Living

Surakarta

$57 11.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 1304% $738

Getting Around

Surakarta

$26 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 233% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Surakarta

$20 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 346% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $168 in Surakarta 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 447% 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 $12.00 in Surakarta versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $352 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

19:07 7:07 PM

13 h behind Surakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,421

4,912

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surakarta Nosara 18,180 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Surakarta
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

Surakarta vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $509 in Surakarta, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 261% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $763 per month in Surakarta 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 Surakarta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 232% less in Surakarta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $33.42 per month in Surakarta 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 Surakarta, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Surakarta 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 $509 in Surakarta 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 Surakarta. 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.