Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Lipa: $607 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Lipa
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Lipa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lipa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lipa

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $607 in Lipa, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Lipa $607

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $937 in Lipa, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Lipa $937

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,268 in Lipa, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Lipa $1,268

Nosara costs about 203% more than Lipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Lipa is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.14 ₱198

293.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.01 ₱1,008

282.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.75 ₱173

173.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.80 ₱113

145.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.45 ₱28.54

286.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.30 ₱19.15

336.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.02 ₱64.5

221.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.60 ₱101

179.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.47 ₱92.7

6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.15 ₱72.5

162.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.87 ₱54.8

188.51%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.68 ₱106

112.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.98 ₱314

49.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.39 ₱213

210.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.99 ₱503

74.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.29 ₱144

2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.60 ₱101

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.34 ₱147

105.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.07 ₱67.6

50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.66 ₱105

128.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.70 ₱107

117.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.65 ₱41.18

73.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 ₱30.96

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.88 ₱181

79.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.96 ₱564

121.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.99 ₱62.1

192.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.01 ₱126

80.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.25 ₱15.65

348.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$4.81 ₱303

1410.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.70 ₱43.83

205.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.48

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.90 ₱119

348.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.11 ₱69.9

36.94%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

1.27%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$15.9K ₱1.0M

116.69%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$138 ₱8,711

-30.41%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.20 ₱1,083

108.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.11 ₱1,455

131.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.15 ₱2,024

122.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$3.93 ₱247

788.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.94 ₱311

59.72%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$133 ₱8,392

270.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.6K ₱670.2K

11.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$28.59 ₱1,800

88.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.30 ₱1,215

187.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.5 ₱4,504

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$55.5 ₱3,496

43.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$80.4 ₱5,061

880.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$61.6 ₱3,881

1188.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$251 ₱15.8K

1470.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$181 ₱11.4K

684.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$225 ₱14.2K

283.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

43.67%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lipa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lipa

$62 10.2% 92.2% $733

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lipa

$172 28.3% 51.2% $180

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lipa

$66 10.9% 68.7% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lipa

$179 29.4% 3.8% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lipa

$79 13% 34.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lipa

$42 6.9% 51.9% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lipa

$7.7 1.3% 91.2% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $80.4 in Lipa. 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 283% 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 $16.00 in Lipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $172 – making Lipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Lipa

🕒 Local time

17:39 5:39 PM

07:39 7:39 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

332,386

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Lipa 16,040 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lipa

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 Lipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $607 in Lipa – roughly 203% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $910 in Lipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1410% less in Lipa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $133 in Lipa. 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 Lipa, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Lipa 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 $607 in Lipa 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 Lipa. 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.