Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Makati: $1,257 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,257

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,257 in Makati versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Makati $1,257
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,052 in Makati versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Makati $2,052
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,847 in Makati versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Makati $2,847
Nosara $3,712

Living in Makati costs roughly 32% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makati is 6% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 ₱412

$12.22 ₡5,509

-46.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.13 ₱2,524

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-33.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 ₱299

$7.54 ₡3,399

-37.00%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₱166

$4.31 ₡1,941

-38.52%

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

$1.08 ₱67.8

$1.72 ₡773

-37.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.56

$1.35 ₡608

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ₱153

$3.24 ₡1,459

-24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₱195

$4.48 ₡2,018

-30.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ₱115

$1.57 ₡707

16.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱77.9

$3.17 ₡1,429

-60.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.7

$2.42 ₡1,091

-58.26%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱149

$3.57 ₡1,609

-33.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 ₱462

$7.43 ₡3,349

-1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$10.42 ₡4,697

-52.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 ₱429

$13.66 ₡6,156

-50.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 ₱257

$2.32 ₡1,044

76.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.61 ₡728

24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ₱206

$4.74 ₡2,138

-31.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.66 ₡747

37.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$3.72 ₡1,679

-3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ₱217

$3.57 ₡1,611

-3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.10 ₡497

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.9

$2.55 ₡1,149

-56.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.66 ₱167

$4.95 ₡2,232

-46.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 ₱504

$20.01 ₡9,020

-59.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱84.7

$2.79 ₡1,256

-51.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱125

$3.53 ₡1,589

-43.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$1.19 ₡537

-16.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 ₱3,609

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-20.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.50

$2.24 ₡1,011

-70.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.50

$1.55 ₡701

-85.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱118

$8.86 ₡3,993

-78.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.2

$1.57 ₡708

-19.75%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-1.52%

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

$19.8K ₱1.2M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-42.82%

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

$155 ₱9,752

$93.5 ₡42.1K

65.94%

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

$15.90 ₱1,000

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-54.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.67 ₱2,055

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-36.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ₱3,482

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-22.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 ₱913

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-59.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 ₱439

$7.84 ₡3,535

-10.97%

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

$783 ₱49.2K

$490 ₡220.7K

59.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,340 ₱461.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-38.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₱3,748

$53.5 ₡24.1K

11.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.48 ₱2,357

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-32.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 ₱5,185

$79.3 ₡35.7K

4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₱6,400

$78.9 ₡35.6K

29.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 ₱52.1K

$786 ₡354.3K

5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₱26.2K

$780 ₡351.6K

-46.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 ₱145.8K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-39.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ₱67.1K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-24.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,082 ₱382.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-12.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,765 ₱236.8K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

213.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$616 ₱38.7K

$876 ₡395.0K

-29.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.62

-12.99%

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

Last update for Makati: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$416 33.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 87.4% $364

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$230 18.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 51.8% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$204 16.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 11.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 4.9% $6.2

Eating Out

Makati

$123 10%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 70% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 25.6% $18

Getting Around

Makati

$63 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 37.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Makati and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 42% 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: $40.00 in Makati vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $350 per month, with Makati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

20:50 8:50 PM

14 h behind Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

4,912

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Nosara 16,000 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Makati
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

Makati vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 42% 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: $828 in Makati versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,257 per month in Makati versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Makati runs roughly 26% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,257 in Makati versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Makati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,257 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makati hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati 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 Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.