Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bacolod

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $607 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Bacolod
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Bacolod Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Bacolod

🇵🇭 Philippines

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bacolod

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 Bacolod actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $607 in Bacolod, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Bacolod $607

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $885 in Bacolod, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Bacolod $885

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,162 in Bacolod, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Bacolod $1,162

Nosara costs about 203% more than Bacolod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Bacolod is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.34 ₱147

427.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$12.87 ₱810

375.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.03 ₱254

86.60%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.46 ₱155

79.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.70 ₱43.96

148.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.38 ₱23.61

244.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.37 ₱86.3

139.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.78 ₱112

151.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.61 ₱101

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.16 ₱73.2

160.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.95 ₱60.0

164.21%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.66 ₱105

115.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.92 ₱561

-16.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.95 ₱437

51.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.37 ₱212

-30.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.42 ₱152

-33.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.53 ₱33.60

203.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.00 ₱126

84.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.03 ₱64.8

158.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.77 ₱175

87.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.91 ₱57.4

218.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.18 ₱11.18

522.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.61 ₱38.66

250.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.28 ₱80.5

18.75%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.1K ₱1.4M

-2.04%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.0K ₱1.5M

43.84%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$137 ₱8,646

-29.88%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.99 ₱503

349.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$28.20 ₱1,776

90.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$15.87 ₱999

351.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$2.44 ₱153

1330.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.37 ₱275

80.55%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$31.23 ₱1,966

1482.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$267 ₱16.8K

195.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$178 ₱11.2K

345.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$475 ₱29.9K

728.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$347 ₱21.8K

309.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$206 ₱13.0K

319.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bacolod: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Bacolod

$178 29.4% 77.5% $616

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Bacolod

$155 * 25.5% 56.1% $198

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Bacolod

$75 12.4% 64.6% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Bacolod

$174 28.6% 6.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Bacolod

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bacolod

$25 4.1% 71.8% $63

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Bacolod

$1.3 * 0.2% 98.5% $86

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $267 in Bacolod. 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 319% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $13.00 in Bacolod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $155 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Bacolod

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

06:29 6:29 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

561,875

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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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Between locations

Nosara Bacolod 16,110 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Bacolod

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 Bacolod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $607 in Bacolod – roughly 203% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $911 in Bacolod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $13.00 in Bacolod. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 128% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Bacolod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in Bacolod to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bacolod. 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.