Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mandaue

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaue: $825 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Mandaue
Learn more

Mandaue Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Mandaue

🇵🇭 Philippines

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mandaue

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $825 in Mandaue.

Nosara $1,839
Mandaue $825

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,203 in Mandaue.

Nosara $2,828
Mandaue $1,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,581 in Mandaue.

Nosara $3,818
Mandaue $1,581

Living in Nosara is roughly 123% more expensive than in Mandaue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Mandaue is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.96 ₱187

317.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.45 ₱1,477

160.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.99 ₱252

88.47%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.58 ₱162

70.93%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.54 ₱97.0

12.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.49 ₱31.06

167.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.72 ₱108

90.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.28 ₱144

96.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.95 ₱123

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.09 ₱68.8

177.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.93 ₱58.8

169.89%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.97 ₱124

81.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.91 ₱624

-25.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.36 ₱275

141.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.63 ₱481

83.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.47 ₱219

-32.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.43 ₱90.1

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.28 ₱144

110.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.47 ₱92.6

9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.34 ₱147

62.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.97 ₱124

87.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.19 ₱74.9

-5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.67 ₱42.43

297.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.37 ₱149

118.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.29 ₱396

216.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.23 ₱77.5

135.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.72 ₱108

111.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.24 ₱14.98

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$9.67 ₱609

651.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.74 ₱46.71

189.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.21 ₱13.20

647.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.88 ₱119

353.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.32 ₱83.3

15.15%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

1.82%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

80.49%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$98.3 ₱6,190

-2.01%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.07 ₱886

155.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.93 ₱1,759

91.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$33.01 ₱2,079

116.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.27 ₱332

562.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.69 ₱358

38.66%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$130 ₱8,208

279.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,979 ₱502.6K

48.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$32.91 ₱2,073

63.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.62 ₱1,236

182.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.1 ₱4,793

2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$57.7 ₱3,634

38.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$429 ₱27.1K

83.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$251 ₱15.8K

216.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$747 ₱47.1K

427.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$353 ₱22.2K

302.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,174 ₱136.9K

217.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$902 ₱56.8K

35.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$234 ₱14.8K

268.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.2

19.72%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Mandaue

$251 30.5% 68.4% $543

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Mandaue

$205 24.8% 41.9% $147

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Mandaue

$88 10.7% 58.5% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Mandaue

$140 17% 24.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mandaue

$84 10.2% 30.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mandaue

$44 5.4% 49.2% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Mandaue

$12 1.5% 85.8% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $429 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 268% 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 $23.00 in Mandaue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $205 per month, with Mandaue cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Mandaue

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

05:14 5:14 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

364,116

💱 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 = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mandaue 16,040 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mandaue

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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 123% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 268% 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 $429 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaue – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $825 in Mandaue – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $825 in Mandaue versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandaue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $825 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandaue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.