Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Pandan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pandan: $617 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tanjung Pandan, Indonesia
Nosara, Costa Rica
Tanjung Pandan
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$617
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $617 per month in Tanjung Pandan vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tanjung Pandan $617
  • Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $1,000 per month in Tanjung Pandan vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tanjung Pandan $1,000
  • Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $1,383 per month in Tanjung Pandan vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tanjung Pandan $1,383
  • Nosara $3,820

Tanjung Pandan is about 67% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tanjung Pandan sits 55% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tanjung Pandan
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.59 Rp 28.9K
$12.36 ₡5,561
-87.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.06 Rp 273.3K
$60.8 ₡27.3K
-75.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.59 Rp 65.2K
$7.88 ₡3,547
-54.44%
Cappuccino
$1.50 Rp 27.3K
$4.40 ₡1,981
-65.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.42 Rp 7,687
$1.72 ₡774
-75.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 Rp 3,943
$1.34 ₡602
-83.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$3.34 ₡1,501
-38.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 Rp 60.4K
$4.54 ₡2,042
-26.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tanjung Pandan
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 Rp 19.2K
$1.64 ₡737
-35.37%
White Bread (500g)
$1.00 Rp 18.1K
$3.16 ₡1,422
-68.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.94 Rp 17.1K
$2.39 ₡1,077
-60.67%
Eggs
$1.25 Rp 22.7K
$3.47 ₡1,559
-63.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.37 Rp 115.5K
$7.13 ₡3,209
-10.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.26 Rp 59.2K
$10.32 ₡4,642
-68.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.49 Rp 154.1K
$13.97 ₡6,285
-39.23%
Apples (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 35.0K
$2.29 ₡1,029
-15.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.13 Rp 20.5K
$1.62 ₡729
-30.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 Rp 31.9K
$4.81 ₡2,164
-63.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.24 Rp 22.5K
$1.68 ₡756
-26.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 Rp 19.7K
$3.91 ₡1,760
-72.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.5K
$3.63 ₡1,636
-47.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.78 Rp 14.1K
$1.13 ₡508
-30.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 Rp 7,297
$2.63 ₡1,185
-84.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.51 Rp 45.6K
$5.02 ₡2,261
-50.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.14 Rp 419.9K
$19.71 ₡8,870
17.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 Rp 33.0K
$2.91 ₡1,311
-37.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 Rp 61.3K
$3.54 ₡1,593
-4.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Tanjung Pandan
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,557
$1.21 ₡544
-79.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.41 Rp 188.8K
$73.8 ₡33.2K
-85.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,524
$2.15 ₡967
-78.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 Rp 6,501
$1.63 ₡736
-77.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.47 Rp 44.9K
$8.77 ₡3,948
-71.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 16.1K
$1.55 ₡698
-43.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.2K Rp 366.3M
$33.9K ₡15.2M
-40.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K Rp 555.6M
$38.5K ₡17.3M
-20.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tanjung Pandan
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.5 Rp 1.1M
$95.2 ₡42.8K
-36.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.22 Rp 76.5K
$36.29 ₡16.3K
-88.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.00 Rp 362.9K
$52.0 ₡23.4K
-61.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tanjung Pandan
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.60 Rp 355.7K
$67.6 ₡30.4K
-70.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.42 Rp 152.8K
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-76.32%
Cinema Ticket
$3.08 Rp 55.9K
$7.54 ₡3,395
-59.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tanjung Pandan
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$88.3 Rp 1.6M
$496 ₡223.4K
-82.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,394 Rp 134.2M
$11.8K ₡5.3M
-37.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tanjung Pandan
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.55 Rp 735.7K
$55.1 ₡24.8K
-26.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.32 Rp 495.8K
$56.1 ₡25.2K
-51.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.0 Rp 1.5M
$77.8 ₡35.0K
4.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.3 Rp 1.1M
$79.1 ₡35.6K
-23.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tanjung Pandan
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$204 Rp 3.7M
$817 ₡367.9K
-75.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$141 Rp 2.6M
$806 ₡362.6K
-82.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$533 Rp 9.7M
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-86.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$379 Rp 6.9M
$1,429 ₡643.2K
-73.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,263 Rp 22.9M
$7,068 ₡3.2M
-82.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$883 Rp 16.0M
$1,197 ₡538.6K
-26.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tanjung Pandan
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$888 ₡399.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
8.62
9.74%

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

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Tanjung Pandan
$197
Nosara
$351 78.3% $154
Accommodation & Living
Tanjung Pandan
$141
Nosara
$806 471% $665
Clothing & Footwear
Tanjung Pandan
$94
Nosara
$121 28.1% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tanjung Pandan
$85
Nosara
$184 117% $99
Eating Out
Tanjung Pandan
$61
Nosara
$213 250% $152
Sport & Entertainment
Tanjung Pandan
$26
Nosara
$83 221% $57
Getting Around
Tanjung Pandan
$14
Nosara
$89 550% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $204 in Tanjung Pandan versus $817 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 $15 in Tanjung Pandan versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $351 – making Tanjung Pandan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Tanjung Pandan
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
22:03 10:03 PM
09:03 9:03 AM
13 h behind Tanjung Pandan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
103,062
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,281 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tanjung Pandan Nosara 18,340 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tanjung Pandan
  • 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
Tanjung Pandan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tanjung Pandan and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $617 in Tanjung Pandan, $1,846 in Nosara – roughly 199% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Tanjung Pandan compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $926 per month in Tanjung Pandan and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Tanjung Pandan and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tanjung Pandan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $817 in Nosara.
How do commuting costs compare in Tanjung Pandan and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 86% less in Tanjung Pandan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Tanjung Pandan and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $88 per month in Tanjung Pandan and $496 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 $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tanjung Pandan, where all-in costs run around $617, than in Nosara at $1,846. In Tanjung Pandan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Tanjung Pandan or Nosara?
Families tend to lean toward Tanjung Pandan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Tanjung Pandan or Nosara?
For expats, Tanjung Pandan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 199% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Tanjung Pandan vs other spots: cost of living compared

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