Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bataan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bataan: $498 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Bataan
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Bataan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Bataan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bataan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $498 in Bataan.

Nosara $1,839
Bataan $498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $831 in Bataan.

Nosara $2,828
Bataan $831

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,165 in Bataan.

Nosara $3,818
Bataan $1,165

Living in Nosara is roughly 269% more expensive than in Bataan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Bataan is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.39 ₱87.5

788.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.77 ₱1,056

264.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.79 ₱175

169.53%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.37 ₱86.0

221.90%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.60 ₱37.61

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.25 ₱15.77

424.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.98 ₱61.6

234.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.56 ₱98.3

186.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 ₱102

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.17 ₱73.7

158.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.01 ₱63.6

148.51%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.81 ₱114

97.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.08 ₱320

46.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.00 ₱189

250.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.10 ₱510

72.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.21 ₱139

6.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.54 ₱97.2

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.41 ₱152

99.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.03 ₱64.8

56.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.74 ₱110

118.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.78 ₱112

107.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.61 ₱38.47

85.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 ₱30.93

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.26 ₱142

129.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.80 ₱554

125.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.98 ₱61.7

195.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.98 ₱125

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.24 ₱15.03

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.00 ₱756

505.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.82 ₱51.6

160.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.46

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.94 ₱122

339.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.01 ₱63.4

50.50%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

1.99%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

79.00%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$47.67 ₱3,002

101.99%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.68 ₱1,113

103.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.57 ₱1,484

127.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.18 ₱2,026

122.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.71 ₱297

641.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.03 ₱316

56.86%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$67.7 ₱4,259

630.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.9K ₱687.3K

8.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$28.69 ₱1,807

88.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.47 ₱1,226

184.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.9 ₱4,528

8.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$56.7 ₱3,572

40.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$167 ₱10.5K

372.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$52.8 ₱3,324

1404.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$274 ₱17.2K

1339.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$186 ₱11.7K

662.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,394 ₱150.7K

188.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$977 ₱61.5K

25.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$400 ₱25.2K

115.96%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Bataan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Bataan

$53 10.6% 93.4% $742

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Bataan

$172 34.6% 51.1% $180

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Bataan

$47 9.5% 77.7% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Bataan

$89 17.9% 52.1% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Bataan

$80 16% 33.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bataan

$42 8.5% 51.7% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Bataan

$15 3% 82.9% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $167 in Bataan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 116% 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 Bataan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $172 per month, with Bataan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Bataan

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

02:51 2:51 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

6,743

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Bataan 16,030 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Bataan

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 Bataan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bataan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 269% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 116% 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 $167 in Bataan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bataan – 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 $498 in Bataan versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bataan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bataan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bataan 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 Bataan 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 Bataan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 269% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.