Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marawi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Marawi: $727 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Marawi
Learn more

Marawi Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Marawi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $727 in Marawi versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Marawi $727
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,104 in Marawi versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Marawi $1,104
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,481 in Marawi versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Marawi $1,481
Nosara $3,818

Living in Marawi costs roughly 60% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Marawi is 46% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱250

$12.35 ₡5,539

-67.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.84 ₱1,060

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-72.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱171

$7.52 ₡3,373

-63.83%

Cappuccino

$2.20 ₱139

$4.41 ₡1,978

-50.11%

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

$0.61 ₱38.65

$1.74 ₡780

-64.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.03

$1.31 ₡587

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$3.28 ₡1,471

-67.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₱133

$4.47 ₡2,004

-52.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.56 ₡701

2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.1

$3.02 ₡1,355

-63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱60.8

$2.51 ₡1,125

-61.35%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱124

$3.57 ₡1,603

-44.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.45 ₱343

$7.43 ₡3,333

-26.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 ₱264

$10.52 ₡4,717

-60.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.88 ₱433

$13.97 ₡6,265

-50.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ₱155

$2.35 ₡1,052

4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱102

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱152

$4.80 ₡2,152

-49.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$1.61 ₡724

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₱121

$3.80 ₡1,703

-49.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 ₱128

$3.69 ₡1,657

-44.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱57.9

$1.13 ₡507

-18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.33

$2.66 ₡1,191

-78.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱164

$5.18 ₡2,321

-49.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 ₱485

$19.88 ₡8,916

-61.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₱65.7

$2.90 ₡1,300

-64.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₱124

$3.63 ₡1,626

-45.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.77

$1.12 ₡504

-80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.71 ₱800

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-82.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.65

$2.14 ₡958

-65.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.03

$1.57 ₡703

-84.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₱136

$8.52 ₡3,823

-74.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱74.8

$1.52 ₡682

-21.71%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-4.89%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-44.98%

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

$119 ₱7,466

$96.3 ₡43.2K

23.15%

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

$17.08 ₱1,075

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-52.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.37 ₱1,534

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-54.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.56 ₱1,924

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-57.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.56 ₱287

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-86.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 ₱286

$7.89 ₡3,539

-42.33%

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

$132 ₱8,339

$494 ₡221.6K

-73.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,903 ₱497.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-33.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.59 ₱2,052

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-39.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.71 ₱1,241

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-64.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ₱4,436

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 ₱3,452

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-31.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 ₱17.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-65.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-78.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 ₱32.3K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-86.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱21.9K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-75.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,286 ₱144.0K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-66.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$989 ₱62.2K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-19.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$289 ₱18.2K

$864 ₡387.3K

-66.53%

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 Marawi: 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

Marawi

$179 24.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 96.8% $173

Accommodation & Living

Marawi

$173 23.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 359% $621

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marawi

$160 22%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 16.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Marawi

$80 11%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 50.3% $40

Eating Out

Marawi

$80 11%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 166% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Marawi

$40 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 120% $48

Getting Around

Marawi

$16 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 461% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $272 in Marawi and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 199% 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 Marawi vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $352 per month, with Marawi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Marawi

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

20:56 8:56 PM

14 h behind Marawi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,010

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 18, 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 18, 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

Marawi Nosara 16,140 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Marawi
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

Marawi vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marawi and Nosara differ by about 153% in total monthly costs ($727 vs $1,839 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 199% 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: $272 in Marawi versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $727 per month in Marawi versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 153% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 472% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $727 in Marawi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marawi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Marawi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Marawi 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 Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.