Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Malaybalay

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaybalay: $756 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
Learn more

Malaybalay Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Malaybalay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $756 in Malaybalay.

Nosara $1,839
Malaybalay $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,182 in Malaybalay.

Nosara $2,828
Malaybalay $1,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,607 in Malaybalay.

Nosara $3,818
Malaybalay $1,607

Living in Nosara is roughly 143% more expensive than in Malaybalay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Malaybalay is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.89 ₱308

152.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.45 ₱1,035

271.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.51 ₱221

114.25%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.18 ₱137

102.29%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.49 ₱31.14

255.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.33 ₱20.93

296.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.13 ₱71.2

190.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.92 ₱121

132.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.02 ₱127

-22.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.13 ₱71.2

167.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.88 ₱55.2

185.23%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.87 ₱118

90.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.41 ₱404

15.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.87 ₱307

116.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.06 ₱570

54.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.77 ₱175

-15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.07 ₱67.2

50.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.39 ₱150

100.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.14 ₱71.8

41.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.96 ₱123

93.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.39 ₱213

8.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.20 ₱75.3

-5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.66 ₱41.82

303.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.47 ₱156

109.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.77 ₱489

155.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.27 ₱80.1

128.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.62 ₱102

124.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.22 ₱13.60

409.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.70 ₱674

578.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.84 ₱52.9

154.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.40

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.90 ₱119

348.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.27 ₱80.2

19.69%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

0.11%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

81.88%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$109 ₱6,856

-11.58%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$19.33 ₱1,217

85.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.17 ₱1,962

71.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$30.01 ₱1,890

138.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.18 ₱263

735.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.86 ₱306

62.35%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$106 ₱6,689

365.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,589 ₱477.8K

56.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$33.02 ₱2,079

63.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.31 ₱1,216

186.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$70.7 ₱4,451

10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$60.7 ₱3,821

31.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$279 ₱17.5K

182.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$173 ₱10.9K

360.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$441 ₱27.8K

793.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$403 ₱25.4K

251.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,200 ₱138.5K

214.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,006 ₱63.4K

21.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.31

3.73%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Malaybalay

$173 22.8% 78.3% $622

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Malaybalay

$199 26.4% 43.4% $153

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Malaybalay

$89 11.7% 58.2% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Malaybalay

$159 21.1% 14.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Malaybalay

$83 10.9% 31.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Malaybalay

$40 5.3% 54.5% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Malaybalay

$14 1.8% 84.4% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $279 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $16.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $199 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🕒 Local time

13:18 1:18 PM

03:18 3:18 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

190,712

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Malaybalay 16,060 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Malaybalay

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 Malaybalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Malaybalay differ by about 143% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $756 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,134 in Malaybalay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $279 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $756 in Malaybalay versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Malaybalay 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 Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.