Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Binan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Binan City: $731 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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 Binan City
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Binan City Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Binan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Binan City

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $731 in Binan City, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Binan City $731

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,132 in Binan City, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Binan City $1,132

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,534 in Binan City, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Binan City $1,534

Nosara costs about 152% more than Binan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Binan City is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.02 ₱253

207.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.94 ₱1,067

261.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.78 ₱175

170.50%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.79 ₱113

146.37%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.56 ₱35.53

210.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.31 ₱19.24

322.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.98 ₱61.8

234.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.57 ₱98.9

184.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 ₱102

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.13 ₱71.1

167.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.04 ₱65.3

141.35%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.04 ₱128

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.97 ₱313

49.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.41 ₱214

208.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.90 ₱434

102.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.41 ₱152

-2.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.52 ₱96.0

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.33 ₱147

106.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.07 ₱67.1

50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.74 ₱109

118.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.76 ₱111

109.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.61 ₱38.30

85.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.57 ₱36.15

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.58 ₱163

100.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.11 ₱511

145.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.95 ₱59.9

205.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.00 ₱126

81.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.28 ₱17.72

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.24 ₱771

493.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.67 ₱41.93

219.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.21 ₱13.16

647.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.93 ₱122

341.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.24 ₱78.2

22.58%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-0.14%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

80.35%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$140 ₱8,795

-31.06%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.11 ₱1,014

122.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.50 ₱1,983

70.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.01 ₱2,204

104.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.04 ₱317

592.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.07 ₱319

55.62%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$135 ₱8,501

265.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,389 ₱465.2K

60.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$28.73 ₱1,809

87.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.59 ₱1,233

182.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.2 ₱4,481

9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$56.5 ₱3,555

41.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$268 ₱16.9K

194.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$159 ₱10.0K

398.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$583 ₱36.7K

575.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$396 ₱24.9K

258.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,584 ₱162.7K

167.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,026 ₱64.6K

19.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Binan City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Binan City

$159 21.8% 80% $635

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Binan City

$171 23.5% 51.4% $181

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Binan City

$73 10.1% 65.3% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Binan City

$187 25.6% 0.8% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Binan City

$79 10.8% 34.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Binan City

$45 6.2% 48.3% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Binan City

$15 2.1% 82.7% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $268 in Binan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $17.00 in Binan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $171 – making Binan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Binan City

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

04:00 4:00 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

407,037

💱 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 Binan City 16,010 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Binan City

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 Binan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 152%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,096 in Binan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $135 in Binan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Binan City, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Binan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Binan City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Binan City. 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.