Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thiruvananthapuram and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Thiruvananthapuram: $381 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Thiruvananthapuram
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Thiruvananthapuram Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Thiruvananthapuram

🇮🇳 India

$381

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $381 per month in Thiruvananthapuram vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Thiruvananthapuram $381
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $610 per month in Thiruvananthapuram vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Thiruvananthapuram $610
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $839 per month in Thiruvananthapuram vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Thiruvananthapuram $839
Nosara $3,712

Thiruvananthapuram is about 79% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Thiruvananthapuram sits 72% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 ₹252

$12.22 ₡5,509

-78.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.25 ₹992

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-82.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 ₹340

$7.54 ₡3,399

-53.45%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₹177

$4.31 ₡1,941

-57.54%

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

$0.39 ₹37.56

$1.72 ₡773

-77.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.01

$1.35 ₡608

-87.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₹207

$3.24 ₡1,459

-33.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₹258

$4.48 ₡2,018

-40.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.53 ₹50.9

$1.57 ₡707

-66.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹48.26

$3.17 ₡1,429

-84.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.57 ₹55.6

$2.42 ₡1,091

-76.45%

Eggs

$0.84 ₹81.0

$3.57 ₡1,609

-76.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.34 ₹517

$7.43 ₡3,349

-28.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.81 ₹272

$10.42 ₡4,697

-73.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₹212

$2.32 ₡1,044

-5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ₹72.8

$1.61 ₡728

-53.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 ₹112

$4.74 ₡2,138

-75.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹46.08

$1.66 ₡747

-71.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹46.43

$3.72 ₡1,679

-87.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₹43.33

$3.57 ₡1,611

-87.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.92

$1.10 ₡497

-52.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹29.36

$2.55 ₡1,149

-88.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ₹422

$4.95 ₡2,232

-11.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.10 ₹494

$20.01 ₡9,020

-74.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₹170

$2.79 ₡1,256

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹297

$3.53 ₡1,589

-13.03%

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

$4.98 ₹482

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹21.30

$1.19 ₡537

-81.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.90 ₹280

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-95.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 ₹161

$2.24 ₡1,011

-25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.29

$1.55 ₡701

-82.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 ₹255

$8.86 ₡3,993

-70.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₹110

$1.57 ₡708

-27.39%

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

$13.6K ₹1.3M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-37.61%

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

$29.5K ₹2.9M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-14.73%

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

$34.11 ₹3,301

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-63.50%

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

$3.44 ₹333

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-90.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.66 ₹741

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-85.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.25 ₹1,379

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-80.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.71 ₹746

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-78.24%

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 ₹198

$7.84 ₡3,535

-73.85%

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

$37.67 ₹3,646

$490 ₡220.7K

-92.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,035 ₹196.9K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-82.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.13 ₹2,045

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-60.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.65 ₹1,709

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-68.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.88 ₹3,569

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-53.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.93 ₹2,606

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-65.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$175 ₹17.0K

$786 ₡354.3K

-77.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.9 ₹9,576

$780 ₡351.6K

-87.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₹34.9K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-90.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 ₹20.3K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-85.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$843 ₹81.6K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-87.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$449 ₹43.4K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-62.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 ₹23.7K

$876 ₡395.0K

-72.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.31

8.62

19.61%

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

Last update for Thiruvananthapuram: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Thiruvananthapuram

$102 26.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 244% $248

Accommodation & Living

Thiruvananthapuram

$99 25.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 688% $681

Eating Out

Thiruvananthapuram

$72 18.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 193% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Thiruvananthapuram

$46 11.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 161% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thiruvananthapuram

$45 11.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 298% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Thiruvananthapuram

$18 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 375% $69

Getting Around

Thiruvananthapuram

$6.8 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1177% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $175 in Thiruvananthapuram 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 258% 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 Thiruvananthapuram versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $350 – making Thiruvananthapuram the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Thiruvananthapuram

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

23:29 11:29 PM

11 h 30 min behind Thiruvananthapuram

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

744,983

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

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Between locations

Thiruvananthapuram Nosara 17,200 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Thiruvananthapuram
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

Thiruvananthapuram vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $381 in Thiruvananthapuram, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 382% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $572 per month in Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 2385% less in Thiruvananthapuram. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $37.67 per month in Thiruvananthapuram and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Thiruvananthapuram, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Thiruvananthapuram 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 $381 in Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram. 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.