Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Philipsburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,149 in Philipsburg, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Philipsburg
Learn more

Philipsburg Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,149

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Philipsburg

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $3,149 in Philipsburg, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Philipsburg $3,149

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $6,004 in Philipsburg, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Philipsburg $6,004

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $8,859 in Philipsburg, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Philipsburg $8,859

Nosara is about 42% cheaper than Philipsburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Philipsburg sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Philipsburg by 135%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$15.49 ANG 27.73

-21.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$70.8 ANG 127

-15.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.04 ANG 14.39

-6.22%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.38 ANG 7.83

-1.60%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.90 ANG 5.19

-40.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$4.11 ANG 7.35

-67.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.97 ANG 5.31

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.55 ANG 11.72

-31.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$3.06 ANG 5.48

-48.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.64 ANG 4.72

20.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.53 ANG 4.53

-4.35%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$6.54 ANG 11.70

-45.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$18.69 ANG 33.46

-60.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$13.75 ANG 24.61

-24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$14.89 ANG 26.66

-8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$5.07 ANG 9.07

-54.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$5.07 ANG 9.08

-68.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$9.20 ANG 16.46

-48.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$7.58 ANG 13.57

-78.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$4.06 ANG 7.27

-8.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$4.04 ANG 7.22

-11.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$4.88 ANG 8.74

-77.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.34 ANG 2.40

90.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$8.16 ANG 14.61

-39.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.82 ANG 19.37

84.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$5.13 ANG 9.19

-45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.26 ANG 4.05

-47.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$1.47 ANG 2.63

4802.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$15.04 ANG 26.92

-85.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$152 ANG 271

-38.32%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$32.40 ANG 58.0

8.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$65.8 ANG 118

-21.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$62.7 ANG 112

13.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.92 ANG 19.54

-28.21%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$248 ANG 443

97.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$12.0K ANG 21.4K

-0.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$2,145 ANG 3,840

-63.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,994 ANG 3,570

-60.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$6,614 ANG 11.8K

-41.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$6,466 ANG 11.6K

-78.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,132 ANG 2,026

-22.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

72.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Philipsburg

$2K 64.2% 156% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Philipsburg

$496 * 16% 42% $147

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Philipsburg

$256 8.3% 22.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Philipsburg

$250 8% 38.7% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Philipsburg

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Philipsburg

$85 2.7% 2.9% $2.5

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Philipsburg

$26 * 0.8% 70.6% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $2,145 in Philipsburg. 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 29% higher in Philipsburg, 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 $71.0 in Philipsburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $496 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.499 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Philipsburg 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Philipsburg

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 Philipsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $3,149 in Philipsburg – roughly 71% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $4,723 in Philipsburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 4803% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $248 in Philipsburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Philipsburg at $3,149. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Philipsburg 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $3,149 in Philipsburg. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Philipsburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.