Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bago and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $696 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Bago
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Bago Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$696

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $696 in Bago versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Bago $696
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,085 in Bago versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Bago $1,085
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,475 in Bago versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Bago $1,475
Nosara $3,818

Living in Bago costs roughly 62% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bago is 48% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 ₱237

$12.35 ₡5,539

-69.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.36 ₱967

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-74.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.13 ₱197

$7.52 ₡3,373

-58.38%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ₱130

$4.41 ₡1,978

-53.29%

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

$0.71 ₱44.84

$1.74 ₡780

-59.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.26

$1.31 ₡587

-76.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₱66.7

$3.28 ₡1,471

-67.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₱132

$4.47 ₡2,004

-53.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ₱91.5

$1.56 ₡701

-7.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₱65.8

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.0

$2.51 ₡1,125

-64.54%

Eggs

$1.70 ₱107

$3.57 ₡1,603

-52.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.64 ₱355

$7.43 ₡3,333

-24.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 ₱294

$10.52 ₡4,717

-55.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱473

$13.97 ₡6,265

-46.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱169

$2.35 ₡1,052

14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ₱109

$1.61 ₡720

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₱163

$4.80 ₡2,152

-46.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.4

$1.61 ₡724

-19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ₱109

$3.80 ₡1,703

-54.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 ₱117

$3.69 ₡1,657

-49.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₱63.3

$1.13 ₡507

-10.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.69

$2.66 ₡1,191

-81.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₱207

$5.18 ₡2,321

-36.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 ₱451

$19.88 ₡8,916

-63.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$2.90 ₡1,300

-68.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱117

$3.63 ₡1,626

-48.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.43

$1.12 ₡504

-81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.85 ₱683

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-85.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.31

$2.14 ₡958

-69.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.56

$1.57 ₡703

-85.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$8.52 ₡3,823

-77.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ₱81.5

$1.52 ₡682

-14.47%

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

$24.5K ₱1.5M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

13.31%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-45.60%

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

$109 ₱6,893

$96.3 ₡43.2K

13.70%

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

$13.03 ₱821

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-63.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.14 ₱1,646

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-51.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.61 ₱1,864

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-58.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.30 ₱333

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-84.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ₱313

$7.89 ₡3,539

-37.01%

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

$130 ₱8,157

$494 ₡221.6K

-73.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,189 ₱515.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-30.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.58 ₱2,303

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-32.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.81 ₱1,373

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-60.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,823

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.2 ₱3,977

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₱18.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

-62.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 ₱9,268

$794 ₡356.2K

-81.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ₱28.6K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-88.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ₱21.9K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-75.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 ₱164.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-62.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$876 ₱55.1K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-28.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

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

Last update for Bago: 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

Bago

$180 25.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 95.5% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bago

$149 21.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 25% $37

Accommodation & Living

Bago

$147 21.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 440% $647

Clothing & Footwear

Bago

$89 12.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 34.7% $31

Eating Out

Bago

$78 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 172% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Bago

$40 5.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 121% $48

Getting Around

Bago

$14 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 545% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Bago and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in Bago vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $352 per month, with Bago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bago

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

13:49 1:49 PM

14 h behind Bago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,210

4,912

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 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 PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bago Nosara 16,130 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Bago
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

Bago vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,044 in Bago and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $294 in Bago versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $130 in Bago versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $696 in Bago versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bago is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bago and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.