Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cotabato City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $764 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
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Cotabato City Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $764 in Cotabato City.

Nosara $1,835
Cotabato City $764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,169 in Cotabato City.

Nosara $2,825
Cotabato City $1,169

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,574 in Cotabato City.

Nosara $3,814
Cotabato City $1,574

Living in Nosara is roughly 140% more expensive than in Cotabato City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Cotabato City is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$4.65 ₱293

165.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$16.57 ₱1,044

270.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$4.00 ₱252

94.00%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.23 ₱141

99.10%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.04 ₱65.4

72.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.64 ₱40.49

101.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.17 ₱73.4

176.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$1.91 ₱120

131.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.02 ₱127

-23.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.08 ₱68.0

185.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$0.78 ₱49.16

224.36%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.89 ₱119

82.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$6.41 ₱404

14.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.67 ₱294

119.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.06 ₱570

55.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.73 ₱172

-16.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.11 ₱69.9

47.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.44 ₱154

96.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.20 ₱75.3

36.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.94 ₱122

98.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.55 ₱224

5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.20 ₱75.4

-9.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.71 ₱44.58

264.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.47 ₱156

107.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$8.06 ₱507

147.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.22 ₱77.1

129.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.68 ₱106

109.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.26 ₱16.40

369.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$11.02 ₱694

570.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.84 ₱52.8

158.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.23 ₱14.37

578.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$1.94 ₱122

346.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.18 ₱74.4

31.36%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

60.86%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

107.41%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$108 ₱6,788

-12.05%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$19.38 ₱1,220

86.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$31.55 ₱1,986

68.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$32.71 ₱2,060

125.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$4.78 ₱301

645.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$4.64 ₱292

70.47%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$107 ₱6,709

360.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,519 ₱473.4K

58.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$33.49 ₱2,109

63.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$19.69 ₱1,240

183.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$71.2 ₱4,483

12.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.8 ₱3,825

28.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$270 ₱17.0K

196.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$174 ₱11.0K

353.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$524 ₱33.0K

664.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$357 ₱22.5K

294.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,445 ₱154.0K

188.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$999 ₱62.9K

23.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.31

3.73%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Cotabato City

$174 22.8% 78% $616

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Cotabato City

$199 26.1% 43% $150

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Cotabato City

$92 12.1% 56.6% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Cotabato City

$159 20.8% 13.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Cotabato City

$83 10.9% 31.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Cotabato City

$42 5.5% 53.1% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Cotabato City

$14 1.8% 84.2% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $270 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $17.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $199 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

18:33 6:33 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

325,079

💱 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 23, 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 23, 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 Cotabato City 16,190 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 140% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $1,146 in Cotabato City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $270 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $764 in Cotabato City – a 140% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 571% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Cotabato City versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cotabato City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $764 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cotabato City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Cotabato 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.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.