Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Negros

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $739 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Negros
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Negros Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Negros

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $739 in Negros, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Negros $739

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,121 in Negros, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Negros $1,121

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,503 in Negros, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Negros $1,503

Nosara costs about 148% more than Negros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Negros is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$2.94 ₱185

319.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$11.99 ₱755

411.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$2.77 ₱175

180.14%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.40 ₱88.2

217.14%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.67 ₱41.96

167.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.42 ₱26.27

207.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.21 ₱76.1

167.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$1.96 ₱123

126.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.93 ₱121

-19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.11 ₱69.7

177.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$0.96 ₱60.6

163.54%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.96 ₱123

76.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$9.83 ₱619

-25.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.51 ₱284

127.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$7.35 ₱463

91.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.32 ₱209

-31.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.41 ₱88.6

16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.41 ₱152

98.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.53 ₱96.4

7.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.42 ₱152

59.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.89 ₱119

98.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.14 ₱71.7

-4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.64 ₱40.01

304.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.91 ₱183

75.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$6.11 ₱385

226.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.23 ₱77.4

127.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.74 ₱110

102.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.26 ₱16.37

369.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$11.32 ₱713

552.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$0.79 ₱49.77

174.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.23 ₱14.53

578.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$1.89 ₱119

358.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.33 ₱83.9

16.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

63.71%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

100.66%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$120 ₱7,531

-20.73%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$14.43 ₱908

150.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$27.86 ₱1,754

90.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$32.58 ₱2,051

126.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$4.62 ₱291

671.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$5.44 ₱342

45.40%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$130 ₱8,211

275.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,096 ₱509.8K

46.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$32.81 ₱2,066

66.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$19.16 ₱1,206

191.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$76.9 ₱4,843

4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$57.8 ₱3,638

34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$269 ₱17.0K

197.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$169 ₱10.6K

367.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$511 ₱32.2K

684.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$358 ₱22.5K

293.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,453 ₱154.4K

188.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$992 ₱62.5K

24.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$241 ₱15.2K

267.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

23.14%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Negros: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Negros

$169 22.9% 78.6% $621

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Negros

$204 27.5% 41.8% $146

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Negros

$63 8.5% 70.4% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Negros

$162 21.9% 12% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Negros

$84 11.4% 30.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Negros

$43 5.9% 51.5% $46

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Negros

$14 1.9% 83.9% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $269 in Negros. 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 268% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $12.00 in Negros. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $204 – making Negros the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Negros

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

4,414,131

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Negros 16,150 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Negros

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 Negros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,109 in Negros. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 553% less in Negros. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $130 in Negros. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Negros, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Negros it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Negros – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Negros. 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.