Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maasin City and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Maasin City: $755 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Maasin City
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Maasin City Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Maasin City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $755 in Maasin City versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Maasin City $755
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in Maasin City versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Maasin City $1,132
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,508 in Maasin City versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Maasin City $1,508
Nosara $3,818

Living in Maasin City costs roughly 59% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maasin City is 44% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 ₱196

$12.35 ₡5,539

-74.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.45 ₱1,476

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-61.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.86 ₱243

$7.52 ₡3,373

-48.67%

Cappuccino

$2.57 ₱162

$4.41 ₡1,978

-41.72%

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

$1.58 ₱99.6

$1.74 ₡780

-9.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.61

$1.31 ₡587

-62.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 ₱108

$3.28 ₡1,471

-47.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₱139

$4.47 ₡2,004

-50.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.56 ₡701

25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ₱74.3

$3.02 ₡1,355

-60.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.3

$2.51 ₡1,125

-63.75%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱117

$3.57 ₡1,603

-47.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 ₱625

$7.43 ₡3,333

33.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 ₱277

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₱463

$13.97 ₡6,265

-47.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ₱102

$2.35 ₡1,052

-31.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 ₱41.93

$1.61 ₡720

-58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 ₱99.2

$4.80 ₡2,152

-67.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.2

$1.61 ₡724

-4.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱148

$3.80 ₡1,703

-38.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 ₱120

$3.69 ₡1,657

-48.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.9

$1.13 ₡507

6.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.21

$2.66 ₡1,191

-74.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₱190

$5.18 ₡2,321

-41.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 ₱398

$19.88 ₡8,916

-68.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.5

$2.90 ₡1,300

-57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱108

$3.63 ₡1,626

-52.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.18

$1.12 ₡504

-78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.06 ₱760

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-83.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.38

$2.14 ₡958

-65.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.49

$1.57 ₡703

-85.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱121

$8.52 ₡3,823

-77.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₱86.0

$1.52 ₡682

-9.87%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-3.06%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-43.98%

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

$122 ₱7,695

$96.3 ₡43.2K

26.93%

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

$14.04 ₱884

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-60.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.70 ₱1,744

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-48.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 ₱1,913

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-57.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.24 ₱267

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-87.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.53 ₱348

$7.89 ₡3,539

-29.91%

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

$135 ₱8,488

$494 ₡221.6K

-72.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,885 ₱496.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-33.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.99 ₱2,077

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-38.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.59 ₱1,233

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-64.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ₱4,786

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.9 ₱3,581

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

-65.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.0K

$794 ₡356.2K

-78.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 ₱29.8K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-87.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₱19.0K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-78.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,140 ₱134.7K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-69.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 ₱61.5K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-20.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 ₱7,886

$864 ₡387.3K

-85.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

8.62

-16.47%

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

Last update for Maasin City: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maasin City

$188 25%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 87% $164

Accommodation & Living

Maasin City

$174 23.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 356% $620

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maasin City

$164 21.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 13.3% $22

Eating Out

Maasin City

$89 11.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 139% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Maasin City

$83 11.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 43.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Maasin City

$41 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 111% $46

Getting Around

Maasin City

$15 2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 484% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Maasin City and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 589% 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: $23.00 in Maasin City vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $352 per month, with Maasin City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Maasin City

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

14 h behind Maasin City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,560

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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Maasin City Nosara 15,970 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Maasin City
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

Maasin City vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maasin City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 589% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $269 in Maasin City versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maasin City – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $755 in Maasin City versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maasin City but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Maasin City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maasin City 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, Maasin City 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 Maasin City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.