Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bago

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $696 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Bago
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Bago Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $696 in Bago.

Nosara $1,839
Bago $696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,085 in Bago.

Nosara $2,828
Bago $1,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,475 in Bago.

Nosara $3,818
Bago $1,475

Living in Nosara is roughly 164% more expensive than in Bago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Bago is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.77 ₱237

227.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$15.36 ₱967

298.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.13 ₱197

140.26%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.06 ₱130

114.08%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.71 ₱44.84

145.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.31 ₱19.26

322.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.06 ₱66.7

209.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.10 ₱132

112.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.45 ₱91.5

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.05 ₱65.8

187.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.89 ₱56.0

182.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.70 ₱107

110.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.64 ₱355

31.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.68 ₱294

124.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.51 ₱473

86.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.68 ₱169

-12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.72 ₱109

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.58 ₱163

86.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.29 ₱81.4

24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.72 ₱109

120.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.86 ₱117

98.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.01 ₱63.3

11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.50 ₱31.69

432.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.30 ₱207

56.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.16 ₱451

177.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.90 ₱56.4

222.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.87 ₱117

94.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.21 ₱13.43

433.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.85 ₱683

569.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.66 ₱41.31

224.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.56

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.93 ₱121

341.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.30 ₱81.5

16.92%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.5K ₱1.5M

-11.75%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

83.84%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$109 ₱6,893

-12.05%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$13.03 ₱821

175.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.14 ₱1,646

105.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.61 ₱1,864

141.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.30 ₱333

558.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.97 ₱313

58.75%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$130 ₱8,157

281.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,189 ₱515.6K

44.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$36.58 ₱2,303

47.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$21.81 ₱1,373

154.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.6 ₱4,823

1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$63.2 ₱3,977

26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$294 ₱18.5K

167.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$147 ₱9,268

439.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$455 ₱28.6K

766.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$347 ₱21.9K

308.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,607 ₱164.2K

165.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$876 ₱55.1K

39.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Bago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Bago

$147 21.2% 81.5% $647

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Bago

$180 25.9% 48.8% $172

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Bago

$78 11.2% 63.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Bago

$149 21.4% 20% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Bago

$89 12.8% 25.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bago

$40 5.7% 54.7% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Bago

$14 1.9% 84.5% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $294 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $15.00 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $180 per month, with Bago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Bago

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

04:42 4:42 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

191,210

💱 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 = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Bago 16,130 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Bago

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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,044 in Bago to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $294 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $130 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $696 in Bago versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bago is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Bago 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 Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.