Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pasay

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasay: $907 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Pasay
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Pasay Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Pasay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Pasay

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $907 in Pasay, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Pasay $907

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,237 in Pasay, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Pasay $1,237

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,567 in Pasay, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Pasay $1,567

Nosara costs about 103% more than Pasay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Pasay is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.40 ₱277

180.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$18.94 ₱1,193

223.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.84 ₱179

164.79%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.26 ₱142

95.13%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.59 ₱37.36

194.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.30 ₱19.20

336.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.16 ₱73.2

182.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.58 ₱99.3

182.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.71 ₱108

-8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.13 ₱71.4

167.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.97 ₱61.4

158.76%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.96 ₱123

82.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.15 ₱324

44.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.13 ₱260

154.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.18 ₱452

94.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.24 ₱141

4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.53 ₱96.4

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.31 ₱146

107.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.16 ₱73.2

38.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.37 ₱149

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.34 ₱211

10.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.25 ₱78.7

-9.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.87 ₱55.0

205.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.88 ₱181

79.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.68 ₱483

158.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.98 ₱61.7

195.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.77 ₱111

105.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.17 ₱10.43

558.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.77 ₱48.72

177.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.21 ₱13.20

647.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.87 ₱118

355.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.24 ₱78.1

22.58%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

0.43%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

79.40%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$139 ₱8,741

-30.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.54 ₱916

146.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.75 ₱1,558

116.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$47.70 ₱3,003

50.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.26 ₱331

50.00%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$71.9 ₱4,524

587.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,541 ₱160.0K

366.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$35.39 ₱2,228

52.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.32 ₱1,217

186.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.6 ₱4,505

8.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$63.6 ₱4,004

25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$429 ₱27.0K

83.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$312 ₱19.7K

154.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$827 ₱52.1K

376.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$364 ₱22.9K

289.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,891 ₱119.0K

265.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$575 ₱36.2K

113.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$510 ₱32.1K

69.35%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Pasay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Pasay

$313 34.5% 60.7% $482

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Pasay

$186 20.6% 47.1% $166

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Pasay

$83 9.2% 60.6% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Pasay

$178 19.7% 4.1% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Pasay

$85 9.4% 28.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pasay

$58 6.4% 33.4% $29

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Pasay

$2.5 * 0.3% 97.2% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $429 in Pasay. 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 69% 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 $19.00 in Pasay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $186 – making Pasay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Pasay

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

01:18 1:18 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

416,522

💱 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 = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Pasay 16,010 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Pasay

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 Pasay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $907 in Pasay – roughly 103% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,360 in Pasay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $19.00 in Pasay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 89% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pasay, where all-in costs run around $907, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pasay 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 $907 in Pasay 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 Pasay. 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.