Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Laoag City

For one person, living is cheaper in Laoag City: $743 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 Laoag City
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Laoag City Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Laoag City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$743

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $743 in Laoag City, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Laoag City $743

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,112 in Laoag City, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Laoag City $1,112

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,480 in Laoag City, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Laoag City $1,480

Nosara costs about 147% more than Laoag City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.41 ₱215

262.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.52 ₱1,040

270.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.94 ₱185

155.78%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.54 ₱160

73.62%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.67 ₱42.11

159.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.33 ₱20.52

296.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.00 ₱63.3

228.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.85 ₱117

141.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.63 ₱102

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.17 ₱73.8

158.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.92 ₱58.1

172.83%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.95 ₱123

83.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.25 ₱331

41.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.30 ₱271

144.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.24 ₱456

92.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.42 ₱152

-2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.63 ₱103

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.44 ₱154

96.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.19 ₱74.6

35.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.94 ₱122

95.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.88 ₱119

96.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.01 ₱63.3

11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.54 ₱33.73

392.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.89 ₱182

79.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.37 ₱464

169.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.94 ₱59.5

208.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.94 ₱122

87.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.26 ₱16.39

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$11.99 ₱755

505.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.73 ₱45.76

193.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.24 ₱15.14

554.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.19 ₱138

289.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.03 ₱64.6

47.57%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-0.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

81.40%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$136 ₱8,542

-29.03%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.48 ₱912

147.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.79 ₱1,561

116.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.51 ₱2,047

120.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.10 ₱321

584.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.03 ₱316

56.86%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$133 ₱8,385

271.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,190 ₱515.6K

44.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$33.49 ₱2,108

61.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.72 ₱1,242

180.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.2 ₱4,481

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$55.3 ₱3,483

43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$270 ₱17.0K

192.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$171 ₱10.8K

363.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$513 ₱32.3K

668.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$330 ₱20.7K

330.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,434 ₱153.3K

183.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,087 ₱68.4K

12.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$162 ₱10.2K

433.58%

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 Laoag City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Laoag City

$171 23% 78.4% $623

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Laoag City

$179 24.2% 49.1% $173

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Laoag City

$79 10.7% 62.6% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Laoag City

$175 23.5% 5.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Laoag City

$81 10.9% 32.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Laoag City

$43 5.7% 51.3% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Laoag City

$15 2% 82.8% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $270 in Laoag 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 434% 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 $17.00 in Laoag City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $179 – making Laoag City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Laoag City

🕒 Local time

20:04 8:04 PM

10:04 10:04 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

112,117

💱 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 Laoag City 15,760 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Nosara costs about 147% more than Laoag City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,115 in Laoag City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $743 in Laoag City. That's a gap of about 147%.

Public transport costs about 506% less in Laoag City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $743, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Laoag City costs $743 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Laoag 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.