Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cabanatuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $618 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
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Cabanatuan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cabanatuan

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $618 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Cabanatuan $618

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $957 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Cabanatuan $957

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,296 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Cabanatuan $1,296

Nosara costs about 198% more than Cabanatuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Cabanatuan is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.09 ₱258

201.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$17.04 ₱1,073

259.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.76 ₱174

172.46%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.76 ₱111

150.57%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.60 ₱38.01

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.31 ₱19.25

322.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.01 ₱63.8

224.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.63 ₱103

174.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.60 ₱101

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.12 ₱70.3

169.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.93 ₱58.7

169.89%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.03 ₱128

75.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.21 ₱328

42.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.40 ₱214

209.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.85 ₱494

77.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.31 ₱146

1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.11 ₱69.6

45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.32 ₱146

106.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.78 ₱49.05

106.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.73 ₱109

119.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.73 ₱109

113.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.63 ₱39.49

79.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 ₱30.84

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.00 ₱189

72.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.74 ₱551

127.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.97 ₱60.9

198.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.05 ₱129

77.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.27 ₱17.23

314.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.74 ₱802

470.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.76 ₱47.88

181.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.25 ₱15.83

528.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.88 ₱118

353.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.95 ₱59.8

60.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

0.80%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

78.74%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$53.5 ₱3,370

79.88%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.42 ₱1,097

106.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$21.66 ₱1,364

147.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$11.25 ₱708

536.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.16 ₱325

576.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.31 ₱334

48.59%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$131 ₱8,249

277.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.9K ₱688.0K

8.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$23.58 ₱1,484

128.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.50 ₱1,227

184.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$59.1 ₱3,723

31.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$55.2 ₱3,474

44.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$248 ₱15.6K

217.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$173 ₱10.9K

360.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$479 ₱30.1K

722.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$317 ₱20.0K

347.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,513 ₱158.2K

175.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,092 ₱68.7K

12.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$159 ₱10.0K

442.57%

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 Cabanatuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cabanatuan

$173 27.9% 78.3% $622

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cabanatuan

$170 27.5% 51.7% $182

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cabanatuan

$74 12% 65% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cabanatuan

$93 15% 50.2% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cabanatuan

$71 11.5% 41% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cabanatuan

$22 3.5% 75% $66

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cabanatuan

$16 2.6% 81.8% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $248 in Cabanatuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 443% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $17.00 in Cabanatuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $170 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🕒 Local time

13:54 1:54 PM

03:54 3:54 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

302,231

💱 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 Cabanatuan 15,940 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cabanatuan

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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $618 in Cabanatuan – roughly 198% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $927 in Cabanatuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $17.00 in Cabanatuan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $618 in Cabanatuan. That's a gap of about 198%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabanatuan, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cabanatuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $618 in Cabanatuan to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Cabanatuan. 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.