Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and El Nido

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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 El Nido
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El Nido Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in El Nido

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $739 in El Nido, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
El Nido $739

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,148 in El Nido, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
El Nido $1,148

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,557 in El Nido, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
El Nido $1,557

Nosara costs about 148% more than El Nido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while El Nido is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$4.84 ₱305

154.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$28.13 ₱1,771

117.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$3.70 ₱233

109.73%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.25 ₱142

97.33%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.17 ₱73.8

52.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.32 ₱20.45

303.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.30 ₱81.8

149.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$1.99 ₱125

122.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.59 ₱100

-2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.00 ₱63.1

208.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.29 ₱81.4

96.12%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.95 ₱123

76.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$5.33 ₱336

37.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$3.98 ₱250

157.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$6.98 ₱439

102.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.25 ₱142

1.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.54 ₱97.1

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.26 ₱142

111.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.16 ₱72.8

41.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.95 ₱123

97.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.01 ₱127

86.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.92 ₱58.0

18.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.53 ₱33.65

388.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.35 ₱211

52.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$7.24 ₱456

175.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.00 ₱62.9

180.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.87 ₱118

88.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.24 ₱15.07

408.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$10.28 ₱648

618.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.85 ₱53.8

155.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.20 ₱12.47

680.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$1.72 ₱108

404.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.31 ₱82.3

18.32%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

80.11%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

79.43%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$121 ₱7,638

-21.84%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$14.38 ₱906

151.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$24.44 ₱1,539

117.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$34.90 ₱2,197

111.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$3.99 ₱251

792.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$5.23 ₱329

51.24%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$124 ₱7,818

294.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,869 ₱432.4K

73.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$33.86 ₱2,132

61.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$18.81 ₱1,185

197.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$66.9 ₱4,211

20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$49.95 ₱3,145

55.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$269 ₱17.0K

197.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$177 ₱11.2K

345.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$535 ₱33.7K

647.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$358 ₱22.5K

294.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,607 ₱164.1K

170.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$900 ₱56.7K

37.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$257 ₱16.2K

245.40%

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 20, 2026

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

El Nido

$177 24% 77.6% $612

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

El Nido

$174 23.6% 50.2% $176

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

El Nido

$93 12.6% 56.2% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

El Nido

$160 21.7% 13% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

El Nido

$76 10.3% 37% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

El Nido

$45 6.1% 49.4% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

El Nido

$13 1.8% 85.2% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $269 in El Nido. 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 245% 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 $28.00 in El Nido. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $174 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 El Nido

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

03:56 3:56 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

50,494

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 El Nido 16,380 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
El Nido

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 El Nido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $739 in El Nido – roughly 148% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,109 in El Nido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 619% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $124 in El Nido. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Nosara at $1,835. In El Nido 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 $739 in El Nido to $1,835 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 El Nido. 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.