Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mambajao and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $508 per month in Mambajao vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Mambajao $508
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $817 per month in Mambajao vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Mambajao $817
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,126 per month in Mambajao vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Mambajao $1,126
Nosara $3,818

Mambajao is about 72% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mambajao sits 62% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.36 ₱85.9

$12.35 ₡5,539

-88.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.83 ₱997

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-74.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.40 ₱214

$7.52 ₡3,373

-54.79%

Cappuccino

$2.28 ₱144

$4.41 ₡1,978

-48.30%

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

$0.38 ₱24.02

$1.74 ₡780

-78.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₱16.81

$1.31 ₡587

-79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₱64.6

$3.28 ₡1,471

-68.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₱70.6

$4.47 ₡2,004

-74.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$1.56 ₡701

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₱39.56

$3.02 ₡1,355

-79.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.56

$2.51 ₡1,125

-73.71%

Eggs

$1.26 ₱79.5

$3.57 ₡1,603

-64.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 ₱372

$7.43 ₡3,333

-20.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 ₱270

$10.52 ₡4,717

-59.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.50 ₱346

$13.97 ₡6,265

-60.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ₱160

$2.35 ₡1,052

8.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$1.61 ₡720

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$4.80 ₡2,152

-53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$1.61 ₡724

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.3

$3.80 ₡1,703

-66.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₱130

$3.69 ₡1,657

-44.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$1.13 ₡507

-20.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱34.37

$2.66 ₡1,191

-79.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₱158

$5.18 ₡2,321

-51.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₱467

$19.88 ₡8,916

-62.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$2.90 ₡1,300

-65.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$3.63 ₡1,626

-68.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$1.12 ₡504

-82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.71 ₱675

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-85.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.54

$2.14 ₡958

-67.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱12.97

$1.57 ₡703

-86.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ₱107

$8.52 ₡3,823

-80.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.3

$1.52 ₡682

-15.79%

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

$21.9K ₱1.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

1.58%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-36.97%

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

$64.9 ₱4,083

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-32.65%

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

$16.36 ₱1,030

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-54.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.10 ₱1,266

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-62.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.72 ₱1,745

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-61.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 ₱295

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-86.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱312

$7.89 ₡3,539

-37.26%

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

$127 ₱7,995

$494 ₡221.6K

-74.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,993 ₱566.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-24.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.83 ₱1,941

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-42.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 ₱1,386

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-60.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,553

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-7.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.1 ₱3,975

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₱6,360

$788 ₡353.4K

-87.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.3 ₱3,542

$794 ₡356.2K

-92.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ₱14.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-93.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱9,973

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-88.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,172 ₱136.7K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-68.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 ₱62.3K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-19.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$153 ₱9,616

$864 ₡387.3K

-82.31%

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 Mambajao: 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

Mambajao

$156 30.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 126% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mambajao

$101 20%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 83.4% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Mambajao

$85 16.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 41.7% $35

Eating Out

Mambajao

$59 11.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 262% $153

Accommodation & Living

Mambajao

$56 11.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 1312% $738

Sport & Entertainment

Mambajao

$38 7.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 132% $50

Getting Around

Mambajao

$13 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 558% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $101 in Mambajao 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 465% 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 Mambajao versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $352 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

12:45 12:45 PM

14 h behind Mambajao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,094

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

Mambajao Nosara 16,030 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mambajao
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

Mambajao vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 262% more than Mambajao, 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 $761 per month in Mambajao 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 Mambajao, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $508 in Mambajao and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 262%.

Public transport costs about 578% less in Mambajao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mambajao costs $508 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 Mambajao. 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.