Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cagayan de Oro City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City: $771 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Cagayan de Oro City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cagayan de Oro 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 Cagayan de Oro City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $771 in Cagayan de Oro City.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Cagayan de Oro City $771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,141 in Cagayan de Oro City.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Cagayan de Oro City $1,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,511 in Cagayan de Oro City.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Cagayan de Oro City $1,511

Living in Nosara is roughly 138% more expensive than in Cagayan de Oro City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Cagayan de Oro City is 43% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Cagayan de Oro City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$3.68 ₱231
235.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$12.80 ₱806
377.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$3.05 ₱192
146.56%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$2.33 ₱147
89.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$0.76 ₱47.91
128.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.64 ₱39.98
104.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$1.38 ₱86.9
137.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$1.98 ₱124
125.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Cagayan de Oro City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.48 ₱93.4
5.41%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$0.89 ₱56.2
239.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$0.92 ₱58.0
172.83%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$2.17 ₱137
64.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$8.67 ₱546
-14.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$3.29 ₱207
219.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$5.76 ₱363
142.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.05 ₱129
14.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.08 ₱68.3
49.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$2.38 ₱150
101.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$1.14 ₱71.9
41.23%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.92 ₱121
97.92%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$2.53 ₱159
45.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$0.76 ₱47.87
48.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.48 ₱30.30
454.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$3.02 ₱190
71.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$3.97 ₱250
400.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.22 ₱77.0
137.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$1.93 ₱122
88.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Cagayan de Oro City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$0.41 ₱25.99
173.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$9.84 ₱620
638.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$0.63 ₱39.57
239.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$0.21 ₱13.18
647.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$1.94 ₱122
339.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.08 ₱67.8
40.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$21.1K ₱1.3M
2.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$18.9K ₱1.2M
82.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Cagayan de Oro City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$137 ₱8,600
-29.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$22.77 ₱1,433
57.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$30.51 ₱1,921
75.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Cagayan de Oro City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$20.70 ₱1,303
245.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$2.87 ₱181
1116.38%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$4.55 ₱286
73.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Cagayan de Oro City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$66.4 ₱4,181
644.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$2,257 ₱142.1K
425.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Cagayan de Oro City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$31.71 ₱1,997
70.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$13.08 ₱824
323.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$52.4 ₱3,300
48.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$39.65 ₱2,496
100.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Cagayan de Oro City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$377 ₱23.8K
108.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$229 ₱14.4K
247.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$693 ₱43.7K
468.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$452 ₱28.5K
213.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$1,604 ₱101.0K
330.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$951 ₱59.9K
28.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Cagayan de Oro City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$302 ₱19.0K
185.63%
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 Cagayan de Oro City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Cagayan de Oro City
$229 71.2% $566
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Cagayan de Oro City
$165 53.1% $187
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Cagayan de Oro City
$83 60.8% $129
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Cagayan de Oro City
$190 2.2% $4.1
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Cagayan de Oro City
$62 48.7% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Cagayan de Oro City
$30 65.9% $58
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Cagayan de Oro City
$13 84.9% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $377 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 186% 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 $13.00 in Cagayan de Oro City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $165 per month, with Cagayan de Oro City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇵🇭 Cagayan de Oro City
🕒 Local time
08:09 8:09 AM
22:09 10:09 PM
14 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
728,402
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Cagayan de Oro City 16,080 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Cagayan de Oro 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 Cagayan de Oro City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Nosara and in Cagayan de Oro City?
Nosara and Cagayan de Oro City differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $771 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Nosara or Cagayan de Oro City?
Average pay runs 186% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Nosara and in Cagayan de Oro City?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $377 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 113% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $771 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cagayan de Oro City but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cagayan de Oro City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Cagayan de Oro City?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Nosara or Cagayan de Oro City safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Cagayan de Oro City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Nosara or Cagayan de Oro City?
Expats usually find Cagayan de Oro City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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