Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vung Tau and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Vung Tau: $608 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Vung Tau
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Vung Tau Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Vung Tau

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$608

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $608 per month in Vung Tau vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Vung Tau $608
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,015 per month in Vung Tau vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Vung Tau $1,015
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Vung Tau vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Vung Tau $1,423
Nosara $3,818

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ₫50.5K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-84.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.66 ₫405.5K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-74.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.75 ₫97.0K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-50.13%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ₫47.6K

$4.41 ₡1,978

-58.28%

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

$0.41 ₫10.6K

$1.74 ₡780

-76.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,662

$1.31 ₡587

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ₫20.2K

$3.28 ₡1,471

-76.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₫26.3K

$4.47 ₡2,004

-77.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 ₫36.3K

$1.56 ₡701

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$3.02 ₡1,355

-63.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$2.51 ₡1,125

-64.54%

Eggs

$1.65 ₫42.8K

$3.57 ₡1,603

-53.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.79 ₫124.0K

$7.43 ₡3,333

-35.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 ₫93.1K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-65.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.44 ₫244.4K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-32.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ₫79.3K

$2.35 ₡1,052

30.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$1.61 ₡720

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$4.80 ₡2,152

-86.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₫33.5K

$1.61 ₡724

-19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$3.80 ₡1,703

-69.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$3.69 ₡1,657

-67.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₫15.7K

$1.13 ₡507

-46.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₫11.0K

$2.66 ₡1,191

-83.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.20 ₫31.1K

$5.18 ₡2,321

-76.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 ₫329.7K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-35.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₫21.1K

$2.90 ₡1,300

-72.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$3.63 ₡1,626

-72.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.1K

$2.14 ₡958

-67.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₫15.3K

$1.57 ₡703

-62.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-86.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 ₫20.7K

$1.52 ₡682

-47.37%

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

$30.2K ₫782.2M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

39.82%

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

$31.4K ₫811.9M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-9.14%

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

$46.69 ₫1.2M

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-51.51%

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

$5.90 ₫152.7K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-83.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.99 ₫206.9K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-85.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.04 ₫441.1K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-76.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.41 ₫243.6K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-73.04%

Cinema Ticket

$3.54 ₫91.6K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-55.13%

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

$117 ₫3.0M

$494 ₡221.6K

-76.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,586 ₫248.2M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-19.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.13 ₫547.1K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-60.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.89 ₫489.1K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-65.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 ₫2.4M

$77.9 ₡34.9K

18.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 ₫1.8M

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-14.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ₫7.9M

$788 ₡353.4K

-61.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₫5.2M

$794 ₡356.2K

-74.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 ₫19.5M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-80.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 ₫13.0M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-64.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,301 ₫189.0M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

5.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 ₫113.1M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

256.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$572 ₫14.8M

$864 ₡387.3K

-33.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

8.62

0.23%

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

Last update for Vung Tau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vung Tau

$199 32.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 299% $595

Groceries & Markets

Vung Tau

$173 28.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 104% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Vung Tau

$90 14.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 33.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vung Tau

$61 10%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 207% $125

Eating Out

Vung Tau

$58 9.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 266% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Vung Tau

$24 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 262% $63

Getting Around

Vung Tau

$3.7 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 2280% $83

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $304 in Vung Tau 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 51% 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 $16.00 in Vung Tau versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $352 – making Vung Tau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Vung Tau

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

05:45 5:45 AM

13 h behind Vung Tau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

380,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 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 VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vung Tau Nosara 17,350 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Vung Tau
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

Vung Tau vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $608 in Vung Tau, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 203% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $912 per month in Vung Tau 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 Vung Tau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Vung Tau and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 104% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vung Tau, where all-in costs run around $608, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Vung Tau 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 $608 in Vung Tau 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 Vung Tau. 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.