Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dumaguete

For one person, living is cheaper in Dumaguete: $791 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
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Dumaguete Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dumaguete

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $791 in Dumaguete.

Nosara $1,839
Dumaguete $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,202 in Dumaguete.

Nosara $2,828
Dumaguete $1,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,612 in Dumaguete.

Nosara $3,818
Dumaguete $1,612

Living in Nosara is roughly 132% more expensive than in Dumaguete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Dumaguete is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.85 ₱242

220.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.19 ₱1,020

277.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.17 ₱262

80.34%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.27 ₱143

94.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.72 ₱45.42

141.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.44 ₱27.45

197.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.34 ₱84.2

144.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.85 ₱117

141.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.61 ₱101

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.33 ₱83.9

127.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.95 ₱59.6

164.21%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.75 ₱110

104.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.39 ₱528

-11.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.40 ₱277

139.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.01 ₱441

99.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.63 ₱103

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.30 ₱82.0

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.51 ₱221

36.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.25 ₱78.7

28.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.43 ₱153

56.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.57 ₱98.8

135.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.79 ₱49.58

43.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.54 ₱34.27

392.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.32 ₱146

123.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.84 ₱557

124.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.20 ₱75.7

141.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.26 ₱79.1

188.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.41 ₱25.84

173.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.09 ₱635

619.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.69 ₱43.64

210.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.17 ₱10.41

823.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.19 ₱138

289.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.06 ₱66.7

43.40%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

3.46%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.1K ₱1.5M

43.02%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$67.1 ₱4,227

43.42%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.05 ₱632

257.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$25.78 ₱1,623

107.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$23.76 ₱1,496

201.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.06 ₱256

759.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.23 ₱455

9.13%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$57.8 ₱3,639

754.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,698 ₱106.9K

598.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$94.4 ₱5,945

-42.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.11 ₱2,022

72.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$102 ₱6,429

-23.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$112 ₱7,053

-28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$238 ₱15.0K

231.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$207 ₱13.0K

283.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$429 ₱27.0K

817.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$359 ₱22.6K

295.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,082 ₱194.0K

124.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$693 ₱43.7K

76.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$276 ₱17.4K

212.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

23.14%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dumaguete: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Dumaguete

$207 26.2% 73.9% $587

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Dumaguete

$191 24.1% 45.8% $161

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Dumaguete

$86 10.8% 59.6% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Dumaguete

$103 13% 44.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Dumaguete

$153 19.4% 27.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dumaguete

$38 4.8% 56.3% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Dumaguete

$13 1.7% 84.8% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $238 in Dumaguete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 213% 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 $16.00 in Dumaguete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $191 per month, with Dumaguete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🕒 Local time

19:42 7:42 PM

09:42 9:42 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

134,103

💱 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 Dumaguete 16,160 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dumaguete

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 Dumaguete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Dumaguete differ by about 132% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $791 including rent). Dumaguete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 213% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $238 in Dumaguete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $791 in Dumaguete – a 132% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dumaguete runs roughly 620% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $791 in Dumaguete versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dumaguete but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Dumaguete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Dumaguete 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 Dumaguete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.