Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Iligan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $739 a month against $1,839 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 Iligan City
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Iligan City Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Iligan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $739 in Iligan City, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Iligan City $739

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,126 in Iligan City, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Iligan City $1,126

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,514 in Iligan City, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Iligan City $1,514

Nosara costs about 149% more than Iligan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.99 ₱251

209.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$17.85 ₱1,124

242.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.74 ₱172

174.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.26 ₱142

95.13%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.67 ₱42.01

159.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.34 ₱21.15

285.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.13 ₱71.1

190.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.90 ₱120

135.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.05 ₱129

-23.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.16 ₱72.8

160.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.90 ₱56.7

178.89%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.93 ₱121

84.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.66 ₱357

31.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.21 ₱265

149.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.26 ₱457

92.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.42 ₱153

-2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.54 ₱97.2

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.34 ₱147

105.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.17 ₱73.7

37.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.01 ₱126

89.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.92 ₱121

92.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.92 ₱57.8

22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.57 ₱35.82

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.97 ₱187

74.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.55 ₱476

163.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.96 ₱60.5

202.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.01 ₱126

80.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.26 ₱16.49

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.63 ₱795

475.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.85 ₱53.5

151.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.21 ₱13.33

647.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.01 ₱127

323.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.17 ₱73.6

29.91%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

2.10%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$16.8K ₱1.1M

105.43%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$129 ₱8,095

-25.11%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.31 ₱964

134.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.12 ₱1,519

122.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$31.95 ₱2,011

124.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.61 ₱290

657.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.14 ₱324

53.50%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$131 ₱8,241

277.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,881 ₱559.2K

33.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$33.30 ₱2,097

61.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$18.10 ₱1,139

206.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$70.2 ₱4,422

10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$48.70 ₱3,066

63.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$111 ₱6,985

610.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$172 ₱10.8K

362.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$515 ₱32.4K

664.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$357 ₱22.5K

297.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,600 ₱163.7K

165.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$875 ₱55.1K

39.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$198 ₱12.5K

336.44%

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 Iligan City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Iligan City

$172 23.2% 78.4% $623

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Iligan City

$184 24.9% 47.8% $168

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Iligan City

$81 10.9% 61.9% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Iligan City

$168 22.7% 9.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Iligan City

$77 10.4% 36.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Iligan City

$42 5.7% 51.7% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Iligan City

$16 2.1% 82.1% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $111 in Iligan City. 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 336% 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 $18.00 in Iligan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $184 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Iligan City

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

11:47 11:47 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

342,618

💱 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 Iligan City 16,130 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $739 in Iligan City – roughly 149% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,108 in Iligan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 475% less in Iligan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $131 in Iligan City. 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 Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Iligan 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 $739 in Iligan 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 Iligan 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.