Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Makati: $1,257 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Makati

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,257 in Makati.

Nosara $1,837
Makati $1,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,052 in Makati.

Nosara $2,775
Makati $2,052

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,847 in Makati.

Nosara $3,712
Makati $2,847

Living in Nosara is roughly 46% more expensive than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Makati is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$6.56 ₱412

86.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$40.13 ₱2,524

50.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$4.75 ₱299

58.74%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.65 ₱166

62.64%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.08 ₱67.8

59.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.50 ₱31.56

170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.44 ₱153

32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.10 ₱195

44.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.83 ₱115

-14.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.24 ₱77.9

155.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.01 ₱63.7

139.60%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.37 ₱149

50.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.35 ₱462

1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.91 ₱309

112.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$6.81 ₱429

100.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.09 ₱257

-43.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.00 ₱126

-19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.27 ₱206

44.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.29 ₱144

-27.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.59 ₱226

3.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$3.45 ₱217

3.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.07 ₱67.2

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.11 ₱69.9

129.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.66 ₱167

86.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.01 ₱504

149.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.35 ₱84.7

106.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.98 ₱125

78.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.99 ₱62.0

20.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$57.4 ₱3,609

25.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.66 ₱41.50

239.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.23 ₱14.50

573.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$1.88 ₱118

371.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.26 ₱79.2

24.60%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

1.54%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$19.8K ₱1.2M

74.88%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$155 ₱9,752

-39.74%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$15.90 ₱1,000

120.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$32.67 ₱2,055

57.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$55.4 ₱3,482

28.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$14.51 ₱913

144.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.98 ₱439

12.32%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$783 ₱49.2K

-37.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$7,340 ₱461.6K

61.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$59.6 ₱3,748

-10.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$37.48 ₱2,357

48.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$82.5 ₱5,185

-3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$102 ₱6,400

-22.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$828 ₱52.1K

-5.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$416 ₱26.2K

87.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,318 ₱145.8K

66.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,067 ₱67.1K

31.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$6,082 ₱382.5K

14.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$3,765 ₱236.8K

-68.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$616 ₱38.7K

42.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.5

14.93%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Makati

$416 33.8% 46.6% $364

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Makati

$230 18.7% 34.1% $119

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Makati

$123 10% 41.2% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Makati

$204 16.5% 13.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Makati

$127 10.3% 5.2% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Makati

$69 5.6% 20.4% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Makati

$63 5.1% 27.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $828 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $230 per month, with Makati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

13:27 1:27 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

582,602

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Makati 16,000 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Makati

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 Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $828 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,257 in Makati – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Makati runs roughly 26% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,257 in Makati versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Makati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,257 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makati hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Makati are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.