Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $755 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Baguio

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $755 in Baguio.

Nosara $1,837
Baguio $755

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,183 in Baguio.

Nosara $2,775
Baguio $1,183

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,611 in Baguio.

Nosara $3,712
Baguio $1,611

Living in Nosara is roughly 143% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Baguio is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.97 ₱249

207.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$16.85 ₱1,057

257.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$2.76 ₱173

173.19%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.84 ₱115

134.24%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.60 ₱37.75

186.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.34 ₱21.40

297.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.01 ₱63.6

220.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.64 ₱103

173.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.69 ₱106

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.13 ₱70.9

180.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.03 ₱64.5

134.95%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.02 ₱126

76.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$4.96 ₱311

49.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.37 ₱211

209.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.68 ₱482

77.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.31 ₱145

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.60 ₱100

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.33 ₱146

103.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.08 ₱67.5

53.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.67 ₱104

122.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.72 ₱108

107.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.67 ₱41.91

64.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.53 ₱33.15

381.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.98 ₱187

66.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.72 ₱547

129.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.97 ₱61.1

187.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.08 ₱130

69.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.25 ₱15.73

376.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$12.66 ₱794

469.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.83 ₱52.0

169.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.25 ₱15.78

520.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$1.89 ₱119

368.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.25 ₱78.7

25.60%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

3.13%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

78.92%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$142 ₱8,910

-34.22%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$17.90 ₱1,122

96.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$23.77 ₱1,491

116.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$21.07 ₱1,322

238.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$5.18 ₱325

584.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.15 ₱323

52.23%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$132 ₱8,307

269.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$10.8K ₱675.4K

10.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$29.14 ₱1,827

83.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$19.94 ₱1,251

179.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$73.0 ₱4,578

8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$55.5 ₱3,480

42.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$403 ₱25.3K

95.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$195 ₱12.2K

300.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$824 ₱51.7K

368.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$460 ₱28.9K

205.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,677 ₱167.9K

160.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$928 ₱58.2K

29.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$185 ₱11.6K

374.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.75

27.70%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Baguio

$195 25.8% 75% $585

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Baguio

$175 23.2% 50% $175

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Baguio

$74 9.8% 64.6% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Baguio

$184 24.4% 2% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Baguio

$80 10.6% 33.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 64% $56

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 81.9% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $403 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 375% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $17.00 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $175 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

21:41 9:41 PM

11:41 11:41 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

366,358

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Baguio 15,900 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Baguio

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 Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 143% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 375% 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: $786 in Nosara versus $403 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $755 in Baguio – a 143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 469% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $755 in Baguio versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baguio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $755 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baguio hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Baguio 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 Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.