Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pampanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Pampanga: $683 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Pampanga
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Pampanga Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Pampanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Pampanga

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $683 in Pampanga, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Pampanga $683

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,034 in Pampanga, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Pampanga $1,034

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,385 in Pampanga, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Pampanga $1,385

Nosara costs about 169% more than Pampanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Pampanga is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.74 ₱173

350.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$15.91 ₱1,001

284.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.28 ₱206

129.27%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.17 ₱136

103.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.61 ₱38.47

185.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.31 ₱19.69

322.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.18 ₱74.3

177.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.01 ₱126

122.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.43 ₱89.9

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.11 ₱70.2

172.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.78 ₱49.42

221.79%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.50 ₱94.1

138.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.10 ₱258

81.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.90 ₱183

262.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.37 ₱401

119.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.86 ₱117

26.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.93 ₱58.4

73.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.12 ₱134

126.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.04 ₱65.2

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.46 ₱92.2

160.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.51 ₱95.3

144.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.83 ₱52.0

36.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.54 ₱34.11

392.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.94 ₱122

167.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.98 ₱377

232.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.70 ₱43.99

314.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.24 ₱78.1

192.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.26 ₱16.52

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$11.36 ₱715

539.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.74 ₱46.64

189.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.49

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.74 ₱109

389.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.05 ₱66.3

44.76%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

15.62%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.6K ₱1.1M

96.51%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$131 ₱8,249

-26.51%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.96 ₱942

139.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$28.08 ₱1,768

90.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.56 ₱1,861

142.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.82 ₱303

624.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.86 ₱306

62.35%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$131 ₱8,262

276.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,954 ₱500.8K

49.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$26.71 ₱1,682

101.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.85 ₱1,250

179.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.8 ₱4,521

8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$37.39 ₱2,354

112.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$268 ₱16.9K

193.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$170 ₱10.7K

367.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$517 ₱32.5K

662.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$371 ₱23.4K

282.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,405 ₱151.4K

187.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$992 ₱62.5K

23.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$299 ₱18.8K

189.10%

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 Pampanga: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Pampanga

$170 24.9% 78.6% $624

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Pampanga

$144 21.1% 59.1% $208

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Pampanga

$71 10.5% 66.3% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Pampanga

$174 25.5% 6.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Pampanga

$70 10.3% 41.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pampanga

$39 5.8% 55% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Pampanga

$14 2.1% 83.6% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $268 in Pampanga. 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 189% 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 $16.00 in Pampanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $144 – making Pampanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Pampanga

🕒 Local time

16:43 4:43 PM

06:43 6:43 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

15,616

💱 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 Pampanga 16,060 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Pampanga

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 Pampanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $683 in Pampanga – roughly 169% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,025 in Pampanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 539% less in Pampanga. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $131 in Pampanga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pampanga, where all-in costs run around $683, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pampanga 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 $683 in Pampanga 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 Pampanga. 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.