Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negros and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $739 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Negros
Learn more

Negros Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in Negros vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Negros $739
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,121 per month in Negros vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Negros $1,121
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,503 per month in Negros vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Negros $1,503
Nosara $3,814

Negros is about 60% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Negros sits 45% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ₱185

$12.34 ₡5,535

-76.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.99 ₱755

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-80.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱175

$7.76 ₡3,481

-64.30%

Cappuccino

$1.40 ₱88.2

$4.44 ₡1,992

-68.47%

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

$0.67 ₱41.96

$1.79 ₡803

-62.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱26.27

$1.29 ₡580

-67.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$3.24 ₡1,451

-62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₱123

$4.43 ₡1,985

-55.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.55 ₡696

24.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$3.08 ₡1,380

-63.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.6

$2.53 ₡1,133

-62.06%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱123

$3.45 ₡1,546

-43.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 ₱619

$7.32 ₡3,284

34.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 ₱284

$10.24 ₡4,594

-55.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₱463

$14.10 ₡6,326

-47.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ₱209

$2.29 ₡1,027

44.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ₱88.6

$1.64 ₡737

-14.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱152

$4.79 ₡2,149

-49.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$1.64 ₡735

-6.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$3.85 ₡1,727

-37.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₱119

$3.75 ₡1,681

-49.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱71.7

$1.09 ₡488

4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.01

$2.59 ₡1,160

-75.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$5.12 ₡2,295

-43.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 ₱385

$19.92 ₡8,931

-69.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

$2.80 ₡1,255

-56.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱110

$3.52 ₡1,580

-50.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.37

$1.22 ₡549

-78.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ₱713

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-84.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.77

$2.17 ₡973

-63.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.56 ₡698

-85.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$8.67 ₡3,886

-78.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.9

$1.55 ₡697

-14.19%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-38.92%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-50.16%

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

$120 ₱7,531

$94.8 ₡42.5K

26.15%

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

$14.43 ₱908

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-60.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.86 ₱1,754

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-47.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.58 ₱2,051

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-55.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.62 ₱291

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-87.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ₱342

$7.91 ₡3,548

-31.23%

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

$130 ₱8,211

$490 ₡219.9K

-73.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 ₱509.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-31.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.81 ₱2,066

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-40.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.16 ₱1,206

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-65.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,843

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,638

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-25.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$801 ₡359.1K

-66.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.6K

$790 ₡354.1K

-78.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 ₱32.2K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-87.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-74.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,453 ₱154.4K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-65.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 ₱62.5K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-19.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 ₱15.2K

$887 ₡397.6K

-72.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-18.79%

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

Last update for Negros: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negros

$204 27.5%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 71.8% $146

Accommodation & Living

Negros

$169 22.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 368% $621

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negros

$162 21.9%

Nosara

$184 10% 13.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Negros

$84 11.4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 44.1% $37

Eating Out

Negros

$63 8.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 238% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Negros

$43 5.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 106% $46

Getting Around

Negros

$14 1.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 521% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Negros versus $801 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 268% 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 $12.00 in Negros versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $350 – making Negros the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Negros

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

14 h behind Negros

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,414,131

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 21, 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 21, 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

Negros Nosara 16,150 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Negros
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

Negros vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,109 per month in Negros and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Negros, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 553% less in Negros. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Negros and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Negros, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Negros it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Negros – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Negros. 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.