Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mandaluyong

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaluyong: $841 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Mandaluyong
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Mandaluyong Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mandaluyong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $841 in Mandaluyong.

Nosara $1,839
Mandaluyong $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,389 in Mandaluyong.

Nosara $2,828
Mandaluyong $1,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,936 in Mandaluyong.

Nosara $3,818
Mandaluyong $1,936

Living in Nosara is roughly 119% more expensive than in Mandaluyong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Mandaluyong is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.72 ₱297

161.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.62 ₱1,046

268.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.53 ₱223

113.03%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.18 ₱137

102.29%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.99 ₱62.1

75.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.49 ₱30.84

167.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.22 ₱76.7

168.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.41 ₱152

85.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.68 ₱105

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.30 ₱81.6

132.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.03 ₱64.8

143.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.21 ₱139

61.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.18 ₱326

43.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.84 ₱305

117.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.82 ₱429

104.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.38 ₱213

-30.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.89 ₱119

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.09 ₱194

55.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.85 ₱116

-12.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.21 ₱139

71.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.63 ₱166

40.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.62 ₱39.08

82.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 ₱30.84

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.94 ₱185

76.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.95 ₱564

122.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.95 ₱60.0

205.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.07 ₱130

75.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.38 ₱23.73

194.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.72 ₱45.59

197.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.47

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.95 ₱122

336.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.22 ₱76.5

24.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

2.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

78.72%

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

$17.70 ₱1,114

102.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.54 ₱1,545

118.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$31.59 ₱1,989

126.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.11 ₱385

29.13%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$131 ₱8,261

276.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,790 ₱553.4K

34.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$29.06 ₱1,830

85.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$27.11 ₱1,707

104.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.2 ₱4,481

9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$54.9 ₱3,454

45.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$622 ₱39.1K

26.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$241 ₱15.1K

230.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,177 ₱74.1K

234.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$724 ₱45.6K

95.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,810 ₱176.9K

145.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$533 ₱33.6K

61.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.75

27.70%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mandaluyong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Mandaluyong

$241 28.6% 69.7% $554

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Mandaluyong

$200 23.7% 43.3% $153

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Mandaluyong

$91 10.9% 56.9% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Mandaluyong

$181 21.5% 2.8% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mandaluyong

$82 9.7% 31.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mandaluyong

$44 5.2% 49.9% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Mandaluyong

$3.4 * 0.4% 96.1% $84

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $622 in Mandaluyong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 62% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $17.00 in Mandaluyong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $200 per month, with Mandaluyong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

07:25 7:25 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

425,758

💱 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 Mandaluyong 16,000 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mandaluyong

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 Mandaluyong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Mandaluyong differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $841 including rent). Mandaluyong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $622 in Mandaluyong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $131 in Mandaluyong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaluyong – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $841 in Mandaluyong versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mandaluyong but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaluyong 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 Mandaluyong 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 Mandaluyong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.