Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Udon Thani and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Udon Thani: $832 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Udon Thani
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Udon Thani Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Udon Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$832

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $832 per month in Udon Thani vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Udon Thani $832
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,352 per month in Udon Thani vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Udon Thani $1,352
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,873 per month in Udon Thani vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Udon Thani $1,873
Nosara $3,818

Udon Thani is about 55% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Udon Thani sits 38% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.31 ฿77.3

$12.35 ₡5,539

-81.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.97 ฿935

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-54.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ฿392

$7.52 ₡3,373

56.12%

Cappuccino

$1.52 ฿50.7

$4.41 ₡1,978

-65.53%

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

$0.73 ฿24.33

$1.74 ₡780

-58.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ฿9.30

$1.31 ₡587

-78.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 ฿57.9

$3.28 ₡1,471

-47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ฿78.9

$4.47 ₡2,004

-47.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 ฿86.3

$1.56 ₡701

65.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.13

$3.02 ₡1,355

-52.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.27

$2.51 ₡1,125

-42.63%

Eggs

$1.52 ฿50.9

$3.57 ₡1,603

-57.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.61 ฿589

$7.43 ₡3,333

137.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.56 ฿85.5

$10.52 ₡4,717

-75.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 ฿464

$13.97 ₡6,265

-0.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿79.9

$2.35 ₡1,052

1.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ฿32.79

$1.61 ₡720

-39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ฿68.1

$4.80 ₡2,152

-57.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.61 ₡724

27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$3.80 ₡1,703

-60.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.27

$3.69 ₡1,657

-71.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ฿40.97

$1.13 ₡507

8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿20.18

$2.66 ₡1,191

-77.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿143

$5.18 ₡2,321

-17.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$37.19 ฿1,243

$19.88 ₡8,916

87.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.1

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ฿67.3

$3.63 ₡1,626

-44.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 ฿20.07

$1.12 ₡504

-46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.24 ฿342

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-85.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ฿34.04

$2.14 ₡958

-52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 ฿47.59

$1.57 ₡703

-9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 ฿337

$8.52 ₡3,823

18.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ฿39.62

$1.52 ₡682

-21.71%

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

$41.8K ฿1.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

93.40%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-4.50%

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

$61.6 ฿2,058

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-36.06%

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

$14.55 ฿486

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-59.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.12 ฿739

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-58.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.1 ฿3,045

$71.6 ₡32.1K

27.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.21 ฿275

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-76.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 ฿150

$7.89 ₡3,539

-43.09%

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

$200 ฿6,699

$494 ₡221.6K

-59.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K ฿339.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-14.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.46 ฿1,452

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-19.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 ฿1,791

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ฿2,374

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ฿2,580

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$175 ฿5,861

$788 ₡353.4K

-77.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$111 ฿3,718

$794 ₡356.2K

-85.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 ฿12.8K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-90.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ฿10.2K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-78.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,152 ฿38.5K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-83.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$411 ฿13.7K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-66.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$766 ฿25.6K

$864 ₡387.3K

-11.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.96

8.62

-7.66%

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

Last update for Udon Thani: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Udon Thani

$302 36.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 16.8% $51

Accommodation & Living

Udon Thani

$111 13.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 614% $683

Clothing & Footwear

Udon Thani

$110 13.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 8.8% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Udon Thani

$100 12%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 12.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Udon Thani

$98 11.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 89.1% $88

Eating Out

Udon Thani

$89 10.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 137% $123

Getting Around

Udon Thani

$21 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 319% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $175 in Udon Thani 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 13% 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 $28.00 in Udon Thani versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $352 – making Udon Thani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Udon Thani

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

15:38 3:38 PM

13 h behind Udon Thani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,531

4,912

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Udon Thani Nosara 16,830 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Udon Thani
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

Udon Thani vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $832 in Udon Thani, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 121% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,248 per month in Udon Thani 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 Udon Thani, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 609% less in Udon Thani. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $200 per month in Udon Thani and $494 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 Udon Thani, where all-in costs run around $832, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Udon Thani 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 $832 in Udon Thani 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 Udon Thani. 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.