Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Albay

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $740 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Albay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Albay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $740 in Albay.

Nosara $1,839
Albay $740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,099 in Albay.

Nosara $2,828
Albay $1,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,457 in Albay.

Nosara $3,818
Albay $1,457

Living in Nosara is roughly 148% more expensive than in Albay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Albay is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.98 ₱250

210.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$17.00 ₱1,070

259.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.72 ₱171

176.47%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.27 ₱143

94.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.62 ₱39.23

180.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.33 ₱21.01

296.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.17 ₱73.6

180.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.97 ₱124

126.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.85 ₱116

-15.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.04 ₱65.2

190.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.86 ₱54.0

191.86%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.99 ₱125

79.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.92 ₱310

51.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.17 ₱263

152.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.55 ₱413

113.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.71 ₱171

-13.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.58 ₱99.3

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.12 ₱133

126.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.03 ₱65.0

56.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.78 ₱112

113.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.26 ₱142

63.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.86 ₱53.9

31.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 ₱30.89

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.67 ₱168

94.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.49 ₱472

165.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.10 ₱69.2

163.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.88 ₱118

93.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.26 ₱16.50

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.06 ₱634

622.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.68 ₱42.90

214.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.19 ₱11.90

726.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.65 ₱104

416.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.38 ₱87.1

10.14%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$18.5K ₱1.2M

17.05%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

76.62%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$115 ₱7,229

-16.13%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.40 ₱970

133.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$25.92 ₱1,632

106.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.20 ₱2,342

92.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.27 ₱332

562.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.34 ₱336

47.75%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$133 ₱8,400

270.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,069 ₱445.1K

67.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$28.70 ₱1,807

87.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.91 ₱1,254

178.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$72.9 ₱4,587

6.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$50.2 ₱3,160

58.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$230 ₱14.5K

243.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$190 ₱11.9K

318.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$489 ₱30.8K

705.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$328 ₱20.6K

332.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,576 ₱162.2K

168.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$959 ₱60.4K

27.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$163 ₱10.2K

430.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Albay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Albay

$190 25.6% 76.1% $605

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Albay

$176 23.7% 50.2% $177

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Albay

$81 10.9% 61.8% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Albay

$156 21.1% 15.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Albay

$77 10.4% 35.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Albay

$48 6.5% 45.2% $40

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Albay

$13 1.7% 85.4% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $230 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 430% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $17.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $176 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Albay

🕒 Local time

18:49 6:49 PM

08:49 8:49 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

179,481

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Albay 15,880 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Albay

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

Nosara vs Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Albay differ by about 148% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $740 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 430% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $230 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $740 in Albay versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Albay 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, Nosara and Albay 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 Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.