Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lucena

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucena: $646 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Lucena
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Lucena Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lucena

🇵🇭 Philippines

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lucena

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $646 in Lucena, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Lucena $646

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,041 in Lucena, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Lucena $1,041

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,436 in Lucena, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Lucena $1,436

Nosara costs about 185% more than Lucena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Lucena is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.50 ₱94.4

723.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$18.91 ₱1,191

223.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$1.72 ₱108

337.21%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.32 ₱83.2

234.09%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.33 ₱20.88

427.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.29 ₱18.26

351.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.38 ₱86.7

137.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.28 ₱80.9

249.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.66 ₱105

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.17 ₱73.4

158.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.92 ₱57.6

172.83%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.75 ₱110

104.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.82 ₱429

8.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.21 ₱265

149.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.13 ₱449

95.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.04 ₱254

-41.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.37 ₱86.0

17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.58 ₱225

34.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.17 ₱73.5

37.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.27 ₱143

67.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.30 ₱208

11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.42 ₱89.6

-20.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.91 ₱57.0

192.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.74 ₱173

89.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.74 ₱487

156.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.34 ₱84.6

116.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.76 ₱111

106.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.24 ₱14.97

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.08 ₱761

501.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.81 ₱51.0

164.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.21 ₱13.19

647.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.54 ₱160

235.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.23 ₱77.6

23.58%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

1.44%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

83.99%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$47.89 ₱3,015

101.06%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.37 ₱401

463.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$11.06 ₱696

384.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$34.15 ₱2,150

109.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.02 ₱253

768.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.38 ₱465

6.91%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$71.9 ₱4,529

586.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,515 ₱158.3K

371.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$35.78 ₱2,253

50.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$22.69 ₱1,428

144.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$79.7 ₱5,020

-2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$74.4 ₱4,683

7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$262 ₱16.5K

201.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$170 ₱10.7K

368.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$516 ₱32.5K

663.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$357 ₱22.5K

297.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,274 ₱143.2K

203.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$921 ₱58.0K

32.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$320 ₱20.2K

169.63%

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 Lucena: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lucena

$170 26.3% 78.6% $625

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lucena

$206 31.9% 41.5% $146

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lucena

$45 7% 78.8% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lucena

$65 10.1% 64.8% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lucena

$96 14.8% 20.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lucena

$49 7.6% 44% $38

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lucena

$15 2.3% 82.9% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $262 in Lucena. 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 170% 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 $19.00 in Lucena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $206 – making Lucena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Lucena

🕒 Local time

15:26 3:26 PM

05:26 5:26 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

278,924

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Lucena 16,000 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lucena

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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $646 in Lucena – roughly 185% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $968 in Lucena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $71.9 in Lucena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lucena, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Lucena 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 $646 in Lucena 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 Lucena. 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.