Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Calbayog

For one person, living is cheaper in Calbayog: $729 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 Calbayog
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Calbayog Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Calbayog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Calbayog

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $729 in Calbayog, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Calbayog $729

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,084 in Calbayog, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Calbayog $1,084

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,439 in Calbayog, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Calbayog $1,439

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.00 ₱252

208.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.40 ₱1,032

273.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.44 ₱154

208.20%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.01 ₱126

119.40%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.57 ₱36.04

205.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.29 ₱18.12

351.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.17 ₱73.8

180.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.66 ₱105

169.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.75 ₱110

-10.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.24 ₱78.0

143.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.97 ₱61.1

158.76%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.17 ₱136

64.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.28 ₱395

18.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.09 ₱258

157.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.00 ₱441

99.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.39 ₱151

-1.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.43 ₱89.9

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.57 ₱162

86.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.09 ₱68.4

47.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.92 ₱121

97.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.84 ₱116

100.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.86 ₱53.9

31.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.61 ₱38.63

336.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.22 ₱203

60.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.48 ₱408

206.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.84 ₱53.2

245.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.63 ₱102

122.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.27 ₱16.98

314.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.16 ₱640

614.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.76 ₱47.73

181.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.21 ₱13.29

647.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.68 ₱106

407.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.29 ₱81.2

17.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

4.99%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

78.26%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$126 ₱7,923

-23.48%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.93 ₱940

140.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.78 ₱1,560

116.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.41 ₱2,041

120.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.21 ₱328

570.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.92 ₱310

60.37%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$128 ₱8,067

285.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,017 ₱504.8K

47.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$34.27 ₱2,157

57.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$17.45 ₱1,098

217.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$68.3 ₱4,302

14.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$55.4 ₱3,487

43.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$237 ₱14.9K

232.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$174 ₱11.0K

356.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$489 ₱30.8K

705.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$309 ₱19.5K

358.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,765 ₱174.1K

150.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,141 ₱71.8K

7.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$152 ₱9,542

469.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calbayog: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Calbayog

$174 23.9% 78.1% $620

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Calbayog

$180 24.6% 49% $173

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Calbayog

$76 10.4% 64.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Calbayog

$166 22.7% 10.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Calbayog

$79 10.8% 34.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Calbayog

$42 5.8% 51.6% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Calbayog

$13 1.8% 85% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $237 in Calbayog. 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 470% 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 $16.00 in Calbayog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $180 – making Calbayog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Calbayog

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

12:10 12:10 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

183,851

💱 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 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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Calbayog 15,870 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Calbayog

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 Calbayog: 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 $1,094 in Calbayog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 96% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $16.00 in Calbayog. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calbayog, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Calbayog it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calbayog – 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 Calbayog. 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.