Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cauayan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cauayan City: $749 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Cauayan City
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Cauayan City Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cauayan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$749

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $749 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Cauayan City $749

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,083 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Cauayan City $1,083

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,418 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Cauayan City $1,418

Nosara costs about 145% more than Cauayan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Cauayan City is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.97 ₱250

211.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$17.01 ₱1,071

259.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.78 ₱175

170.50%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.84 ₱116

139.67%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.56 ₱35.28

210.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.31 ₱19.42

322.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.02 ₱64.2

221.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.55 ₱97.6

188.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.61 ₱101

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.16 ₱72.9

160.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.04 ₱65.2

141.35%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.01 ₱127

77.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.99 ₱314

48.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.50 ₱220

200.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.91 ₱498

76.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.24 ₱141

4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.61 ₱101

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.36 ₱149

103.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.02 ₱64.5

57.84%

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

$0.66 ₱41.25

71.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.53 ₱33.43

401.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.01 ₱189

72.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.72 ₱549

127.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.91 ₱57.1

218.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.06 ₱130

76.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.25 ₱15.49

348.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$11.80 ₱743

515.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.79 ₱49.68

170.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.43

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.96 ₱123

334.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.95 ₱59.6

60.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

0.69%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

81.75%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$142 ₱8,909

-31.95%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.52 ₱663

241.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$22.89 ₱1,441

134.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$36.28 ₱2,284

97.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.48 ₱282

679.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.31 ₱334

48.59%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$133 ₱8,362

272.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.7K ₱671.2K

11.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$29.37 ₱1,849

83.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.82 ₱1,248

179.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$56.1 ₱3,532

38.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$55.1 ₱3,466

44.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$271 ₱17.1K

190.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$191 ₱12.1K

314.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$587 ₱37.0K

570.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$302 ₱19.0K

370.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,173 ₱136.8K

218.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,075 ₱67.7K

13.82%

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 Cauayan City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cauayan City

$191 25.6% 75.9% $603

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cauayan City

$175 23.4% 50.3% $177

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cauayan City

$74 9.9% 65.2% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cauayan City

$175 23.4% 5.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cauayan City

$72 9.6% 39.9% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cauayan City

$47 6.3% 46.3% $40

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cauayan City

$15 2% 83.1% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $271 in Cauayan 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 Cauayan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $175 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Cauayan City

🕒 Local time

11:21 11:21 AM

01:21 1:21 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,616

💱 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 Cauayan City 15,770 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cauayan 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 Cauayan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $749 in Cauayan City – roughly 145% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,124 in Cauayan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cauayan 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 $133 in Cauayan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cauayan City, where all-in costs run around $749, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cauayan City 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 $749 in Cauayan City 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 Cauayan 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.