Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pagadian

For one person, living is cheaper in Pagadian: $717 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Pagadian

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $717 in Pagadian, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Pagadian $717

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,100 in Pagadian, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Pagadian $1,100

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,483 in Pagadian, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Pagadian $1,483

Nosara costs about 157% more than Pagadian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Pagadian is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.81 ₱240

224.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.55 ₱1,042

269.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.77 ₱174

171.48%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.93 ₱121

128.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.87 ₱54.7

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.23 ₱14.39

469.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.42 ₱89.3

130.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.99 ₱125

124.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.70 ₱107

-8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.05 ₱65.8

187.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.93 ₱58.5

169.89%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.63 ₱102

119.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.93 ₱310

50.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.10 ₱258

156.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.05 ₱381

130.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.60 ₱163

-9.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.44 ₱90.8

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.53 ₱159

89.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.00 ₱62.8

61.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.77 ₱111

114.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.96 ₱123

88.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.90 ₱56.7

25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.64 ₱40.28

315.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.12 ₱197

66.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.03 ₱506

147.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.02 ₱64.2

184.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.71 ₱107

112.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.26 ₱16.36

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.91 ₱687

565.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.73 ₱46.09

193.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.25 ₱15.71

528.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.89 ₱119

350.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.06 ₱66.9

43.40%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

13.79%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.9K ₱1.1M

93.27%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$122 ₱7,687

-21.14%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.52 ₱977

131.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.08 ₱1,516

122.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.90 ₱2,260

99.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.29 ₱270

713.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.59 ₱352

41.14%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$129 ₱8,114

283.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,823 ₱429.6K

73.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$34.11 ₱2,148

58.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$17.27 ₱1,088

220.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$74.9 ₱4,719

3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$56.0 ₱3,527

42.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$263 ₱16.5K

199.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$161 ₱10.2K

391.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$509 ₱32.0K

674.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$358 ₱22.5K

296.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,576 ₱162.2K

168.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$989 ₱62.2K

23.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Pagadian

$161 22.5% 79.7% $633

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Pagadian

$173 24.1% 50.9% $179

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Pagadian

$77 10.8% 63.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Pagadian

$162 22.6% 13% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Pagadian

$82 11.5% 31.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pagadian

$47 6.6% 46.1% $40

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Pagadian

$14 1.9% 84% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $263 in Pagadian. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $17.00 in Pagadian. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $173 – making Pagadian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

06:02 6:02 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

199,060

💱 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

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Between locations

Nosara Pagadian 16,230 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Pagadian

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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $717 in Pagadian – roughly 157% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,075 in Pagadian. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 566% less in Pagadian. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $129 in Pagadian. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pagadian, where all-in costs run around $717, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pagadian it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $717 in Pagadian to $1,839 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 Pagadian. 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.