Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $806 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
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Surat Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Surat

🇮🇳 India

$806

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $806 per month in Surat vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Surat $806
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $826 per month in Surat vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Surat $826
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $847 per month in Surat vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Surat $847
Nosara $3,712

Surat is about 56% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Surat sits 40% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.18 ₹307

$12.22 ₡5,509

-73.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.40 ₹1,006

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-82.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.14 ₹304

$7.54 ₡3,399

-58.36%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₹177

$4.31 ₡1,941

-57.54%

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

$0.36 ₹34.38

$1.72 ₡773

-79.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.56

$1.35 ₡608

-88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ₹282

$3.24 ₡1,459

-9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹309

$4.48 ₡2,018

-28.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹70.9

$1.57 ₡707

-53.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₹45.50

$3.17 ₡1,429

-85.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₹63.5

$2.42 ₡1,091

-72.73%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹91.5

$3.57 ₡1,609

-73.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 ₹420

$7.43 ₡3,349

-41.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 ₹265

$10.42 ₡4,697

-73.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₹164

$2.32 ₡1,044

-26.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 ₹59.6

$1.61 ₡728

-61.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 ₹77.4

$4.74 ₡2,138

-83.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 ₹52.2

$1.66 ₡747

-67.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹33.56

$3.72 ₡1,679

-90.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₹41.73

$3.57 ₡1,611

-87.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ₹46.59

$1.10 ₡497

-56.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.89

$2.55 ₡1,149

-88.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₹495

$4.95 ₡2,232

3.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 ₹735

$20.01 ₡9,020

-62.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹180

$2.79 ₡1,256

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ₹291

$3.53 ₡1,589

-14.73%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.06 ₹586

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹21.19

$1.19 ₡537

-81.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.27 ₹510

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-92.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 ₹57.2

$2.24 ₡1,011

-73.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₹21.32

$1.55 ₡701

-85.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹103

$8.86 ₡3,993

-87.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹110

$1.57 ₡708

-28.03%

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

$12.1K ₹1.2M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-44.28%

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

$18.3K ₹1.8M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-47.07%

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

$36.72 ₹3,554

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-60.71%

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

$3.64 ₹353

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-89.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.44 ₹720

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-85.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.59 ₹1,799

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-73.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₹499

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-85.44%

Cinema Ticket

$2.88 ₹278

$7.84 ₡3,535

-63.27%

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

$33.35 ₹3,227

$490 ₡220.7K

-93.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$891 ₹86.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-92.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.51 ₹2,179

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-57.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.53 ₹2,374

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-56.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.90 ₹3,958

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-48.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.42 ₹3,137

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-58.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 ₹20.9K

$786 ₡354.3K

-72.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 ₹48.3K

$780 ₡351.6K

-36.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 ₹36.3K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-90.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₹19.5K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-85.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$660 ₹63.8K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-90.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$309 ₹29.9K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-74.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 ₹30.3K

$876 ₡395.0K

-64.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

8.62

6.38%

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

Last update for Surat: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Surat

$499 61.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 56.3% $281

Groceries & Markets

Surat

$101 12.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 246% $248

Eating Out

Surat

$80 9.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 163% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Surat

$54 6.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 122% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat

$48 5.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 277% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Surat

$24 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 258% $63

Getting Around

Surat

$7.8 1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1008% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $216 in Surat versus $786 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 180% 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 Surat versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $350 – making Surat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Surat

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

20:25 8:25 PM

11 h 30 min behind Surat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,936,534

4,912

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surat Nosara 15,830 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Surat
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

Surat vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $806 in Surat, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,209 per month in Surat and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1268% less in Surat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $33.35 per month in Surat and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Surat, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Surat 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 $806 in Surat to $1,837 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 Surat. 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.