Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $931 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Manila

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $931 in Manila, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Manila $931

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,519 in Manila, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Manila $1,519

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,106 in Manila, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Manila $2,106

Nosara costs about 97% more than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Manila is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.61 ₱353

117.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$27.39 ₱1,722

119.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$3.95 ₱248

90.89%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.56 ₱161

68.36%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.42 ₱89.3

21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.81 ₱51.1

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.17 ₱73.4

176.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.36 ₱148

89.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.94 ₱122

-19.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.40 ₱88.2

126.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.02 ₱64.3

137.25%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.29 ₱144

55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.86 ₱494

-5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.89 ₱307

113.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$6.77 ₱426

101.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.38 ₱213

-31.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.85 ₱117

-12.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.96 ₱186

60.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.79 ₱113

-7.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.24 ₱141

66.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.69 ₱169

32.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.20 ₱138

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.59 ₱37.35

332.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.13 ₱197

58.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$9.42 ₱593

112.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.33 ₱83.5

109.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.00 ₱126

76.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.47 ₱29.54

153.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$12.58 ₱791

472.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.78 ₱48.91

187.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.23 ₱14.47

573.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$1.94 ₱122

356.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.33 ₱83.7

18.05%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

2.18%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

75.94%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$121 ₱7,635

-23.02%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$16.04 ₱1,009

118.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$24.25 ₱1,525

112.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$43.44 ₱2,732

64.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$5.90 ₱371

500.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.63 ₱417

18.25%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$613 ₱38.5K

-20.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,953 ₱563.1K

32.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$58.2 ₱3,657

-7.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$27.18 ₱1,709

105.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$77.5 ₱4,875

2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$57.0 ₱3,583

38.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$534 ₱33.6K

47.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$287 ₱18.0K

171.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,916 ₱120.5K

101.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$677 ₱42.6K

107.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,439 ₱279.1K

57.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,556 ₱160.8K

-53.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$485 ₱30.5K

80.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.43

16.02%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Manila

$287 30.2% 63.2% $493

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Manila

$221 23.3% 36.7% $128

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Manila

$107 11.3% 48.9% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Manila

$162 17% 10.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Manila

$99 10.4% 17.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Manila

$57 6% 34.9% $30

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Manila

$16 1.7% 81.1% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $534 in Manila. 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 81% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $221 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

14:07 2:07 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,780,148 Capital

💱 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

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Between locations

Nosara Manila 16,000 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Manila

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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $931 in Manila – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,396 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $931 in Manila. That's a gap of about 97%.

Public transport costs about 473% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $931 in Manila to $1,837 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 Manila. 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.