Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caloocan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Caloocan: $504 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Caloocan
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Caloocan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Caloocan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$504

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $504 per month in Caloocan vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Caloocan $504
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $674 per month in Caloocan vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Caloocan $674
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $845 per month in Caloocan vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Caloocan $845
Nosara $3,818

Caloocan is about 73% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Caloocan sits 63% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 ₱173

$12.35 ₡5,539

-77.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.50 ₱1,039

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-73.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.22 ₱140

$7.52 ₡3,373

-70.48%

Cappuccino

$0.91 ₱57.3

$4.41 ₡1,978

-79.37%

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

$0.40 ₱25.00

$1.74 ₡780

-77.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.07

$1.31 ₡587

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$3.28 ₡1,471

-69.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₱101

$4.47 ₡2,004

-63.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.56 ₡701

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$3.02 ₡1,355

-63.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₱63.0

$2.51 ₡1,125

-60.16%

Eggs

$1.81 ₱114

$3.57 ₡1,603

-49.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.19 ₱327

$7.43 ₡3,333

-30.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 ₱216

$10.52 ₡4,717

-67.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 ₱500

$13.97 ₡6,265

-43.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 ₱139

$2.35 ₡1,052

-5.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 ₱57.7

$1.61 ₡720

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$4.80 ₡2,152

-50.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.5

$1.61 ₡724

-35.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱70.7

$3.80 ₡1,703

-70.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₱107

$3.69 ₡1,657

-53.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.16

$1.13 ₡507

-42.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.11

$2.66 ₡1,191

-81.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$5.18 ₡2,321

-42.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.68 ₱295

$19.88 ₡8,916

-76.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.2

$2.90 ₡1,300

-68.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱126

$3.63 ₡1,626

-45.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$1.12 ₡504

-80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.9

$2.14 ₡958

-61.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$1.57 ₡703

-84.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱119

$8.52 ₡3,823

-77.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱68.5

$1.52 ₡682

-28.29%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-1.19%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-44.16%

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

$53.2 ₱3,351

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-44.73%

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

$9.80 ₱617

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-72.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.23 ₱1,463

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-56.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$4.76 ₱300

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-93.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 ₱318

$7.89 ₡3,539

-36.12%

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

$134 ₱8,411

$494 ₡221.6K

-72.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ₱688.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-7.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.00 ₱1,826

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-46.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.90 ₱1,253

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-64.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 ₱3,479

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-29.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.92 ₱3,017

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-39.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 ₱12.9K

$788 ₡353.4K

-74.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$121 ₱7,620

$794 ₡356.2K

-84.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$320 ₱20.1K

$864 ₡387.3K

-62.96%

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 Caloocan: 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

Caloocan

$160 31.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 121% $193

Accommodation & Living

Caloocan

$121 24%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 556% $673

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caloocan

$86 17.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 115% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Caloocan

$68 13.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 75.5% $52

Eating Out

Caloocan

$51 10.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 317% $161

Sport & Entertainment

Caloocan

$15 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 488% $73

Getting Around

Caloocan

$3 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 2843% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $205 in Caloocan 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 170% 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 Caloocan versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $160 vs $352 – making Caloocan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Caloocan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

13:06 1:06 PM

14 h behind Caloocan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,661,584

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Caloocan Nosara 16,000 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Caloocan
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

Caloocan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 265% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $756 per month in Caloocan 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 Caloocan, 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 Caloocan 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 121% 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 Caloocan, where all-in costs run around $504, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Caloocan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Caloocan costs $504 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Caloocan. 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.