Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bataan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bataan: $498 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bataan
🇵🇭 Philippines
$498
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $498 in Bataan versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Bataan $498
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $831 in Bataan versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Bataan $831
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,165 in Bataan versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Bataan $1,165
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Bataan costs roughly 73% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bataan is 63% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bataan
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.39 ₱87.5
$12.35 ₡5,539
-88.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.77 ₱1,056
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-72.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.79 ₱175
$7.52 ₡3,373
-62.90%
Cappuccino
$1.37 ₱86.0
$4.41 ₡1,978
-68.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₱37.61
$1.74 ₡780
-65.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 ₱15.77
$1.31 ₡587
-80.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.98 ₱61.6
$3.28 ₡1,471
-70.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 ₱98.3
$4.47 ₡2,004
-65.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bataan
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 ₱102
$1.56 ₡701
3.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 ₱73.7
$3.02 ₡1,355
-61.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.6
$2.51 ₡1,125
-59.76%
Eggs
$1.81 ₱114
$3.57 ₡1,603
-49.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.08 ₱320
$7.43 ₡3,333
-31.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.00 ₱189
$10.52 ₡4,717
-71.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.10 ₱510
$13.97 ₡6,265
-42.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.21 ₱139
$2.35 ₡1,052
-5.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 ₱97.2
$1.61 ₡720
-4.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 ₱152
$4.80 ₡2,152
-49.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.03 ₱64.8
$1.61 ₡724
-36.02%
Potato (1kg)
$1.74 ₱110
$3.80 ₡1,703
-54.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 ₱112
$3.69 ₡1,657
-51.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.61 ₱38.47
$1.13 ₡507
-46.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₱30.93
$2.66 ₡1,191
-81.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.26 ₱142
$5.18 ₡2,321
-56.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.80 ₱554
$19.88 ₡8,916
-55.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 ₱61.7
$2.90 ₡1,300
-66.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 ₱125
$3.63 ₡1,626
-45.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Bataan
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 ₱15.03
$1.12 ₡504
-78.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.00 ₱756
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-83.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.82 ₱51.6
$2.14 ₡958
-61.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.46
$1.57 ₡703
-85.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.94 ₱122
$8.52 ₡3,823
-77.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 ₱63.4
$1.52 ₡682
-33.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-1.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.3K ₱1.2M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-44.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bataan
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$47.67 ₱3,002
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-50.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.68 ₱1,113
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-50.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.57 ₱1,484
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-56.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bataan
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.18 ₱2,026
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-55.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.71 ₱297
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-86.51%
Cinema Ticket
$5.03 ₱316
$7.89 ₡3,539
-36.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bataan
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$67.7 ₱4,259
$494 ₡221.6K
-86.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K ₱687.3K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-7.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bataan
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.69 ₱1,807
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-46.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.47 ₱1,226
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-64.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.9 ₱4,528
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-7.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.7 ₱3,572
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-28.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bataan
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$167 ₱10.5K
$788 ₡353.4K
-78.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$52.8 ₱3,324
$794 ₡356.2K
-93.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$274 ₱17.2K
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-93.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$186 ₱11.7K
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-86.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,394 ₱150.7K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-65.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$977 ₱61.5K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-20.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bataan
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$400 ₱25.2K
$864 ₡387.3K
-53.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
8.62
-21.69%

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

Last update for Bataan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bataan
$172
Nosara
$352 104% $180
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bataan
$89
Nosara
$186 109% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Bataan
$80
Nosara
$120 50.9% $41
Accommodation & Living
Bataan
$53
Nosara
$794 1405% $742
Eating Out
Bataan
$47
Nosara
$212 348% $165
Sport & Entertainment
Bataan
$42
Nosara
$87 107% $45
Getting Around
Bataan
$15
Nosara
$87 484% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Bataan and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 116% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Bataan vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $352 per month, with Bataan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Bataan
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
01:18 1:18 AM
11:18 11:18 AM
14 h behind Bataan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,743
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bataan Nosara 16,030 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bataan
  • 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
Bataan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Bataan?
Bataan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 269% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Bataan or Nosara?
On paper, salaries run 116% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Bataan and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $167 in Bataan versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Bataan and in Nosara?
Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Bataan or in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Bataan – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Bataan or in Nosara?
At $498 in Bataan versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bataan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bataan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Bataan or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Bataan 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.
Which city is safer, Bataan or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Bataan 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Bataan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 269% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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