Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Binangonan

For one person, living is cheaper in Binangonan: $727 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 Binangonan
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Binangonan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Binangonan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Binangonan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $727 in Binangonan.

Nosara $1,839
Binangonan $727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,097 in Binangonan.

Nosara $2,828
Binangonan $1,097

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,467 in Binangonan.

Nosara $3,818
Binangonan $1,467

Living in Nosara is roughly 153% more expensive than in Binangonan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Binangonan is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.86 ₱243

219.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.81 ₱1,058

263.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.72 ₱171

176.47%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.79 ₱112

146.37%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.56 ₱35.08

210.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.27 ₱16.77

385.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.28 ₱80.8

156.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.56 ₱98.4

186.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.61 ₱101

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.17 ₱73.4

158.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.84 ₱52.7

198.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.82 ₱114

96.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.17 ₱326

43.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.38 ₱213

211.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.68 ₱484

81.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.29 ₱144

2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.38 ₱87.1

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.42 ₱153

98.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.06 ₱66.9

51.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.67 ₱105

127.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.76 ₱111

109.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.63 ₱39.65

79.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.50 ₱31.28

432.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.93 ₱184

76.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.48 ₱471

165.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.92 ₱57.8

215.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.76 ₱111

106.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.24 ₱14.97

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$11.27 ₱710

544.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.82 ₱51.6

160.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.21 ₱13.16

647.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.87 ₱118

355.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.19 ₱75.1

27.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-0.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

85.09%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$143 ₱8,977

-32.47%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.37 ₱905

149.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.13 ₱1,457

131.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$31.20 ₱1,964

129.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.75 ₱299

634.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.08 ₱320

55.31%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$73.3 ₱4,613

574.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,528 ₱159.2K

369.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$29.00 ₱1,826

86.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.80 ₱1,247

179.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$70.7 ₱4,449

10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$55.7 ₱3,508

42.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$266 ₱16.8K

195.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$171 ₱10.7K

365.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$515 ₱32.4K

664.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$354 ₱22.3K

300.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,360 ₱148.6K

192.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,045 ₱65.8K

17.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$420 ₱26.4K

105.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

23.14%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Binangonan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Binangonan

$171 23.5% 78.5% $624

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Binangonan

$169 23.2% 52.1% $184

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Binangonan

$73 10.1% 65.4% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Binangonan

$180 24.8% 3% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Binangonan

$79 10.9% 34.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Binangonan

$41 5.7% 52.7% $46

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Binangonan

$14 1.9% 83.8% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $266 in Binangonan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 106% 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 Binangonan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $169 per month, with Binangonan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Binangonan

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

03:25 3:25 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

313,631

💱 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 Binangonan 16,000 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Binangonan

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 Binangonan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binangonan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 153% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 106% 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 $266 in Binangonan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $73.3 in Binangonan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Binangonan versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Binangonan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Binangonan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Binangonan 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 Binangonan 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 Binangonan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.