Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Polomolok

For one person, living is cheaper in Polomolok: $620 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Polomolok
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Polomolok Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Polomolok

🇵🇭 Philippines

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Polomolok

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $620 in Polomolok, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Polomolok $620

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $985 in Polomolok, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Polomolok $985

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,350 in Polomolok, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Polomolok $1,350

Nosara costs about 197% more than Polomolok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Polomolok is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.58 ₱99.2

681.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.91 ₱1,065

261.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.12 ₱133

254.72%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.23 ₱140

97.76%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.41 ₱26.06

324.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.67 ₱42.48

95.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.12 ₱70.4

192.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.90 ₱120

135.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.67 ₱105

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.87 ₱54.7

247.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.67 ₱42.21

274.63%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.92 ₱121

85.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.47 ₱407

14.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.69 ₱170

291.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.63 ₱355

148.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.59 ₱163

-9.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.54 ₱34.16

198.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.42 ₱153

98.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.77 ₱48.17

109.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.22 ₱76.6

211.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.80 ₱176

31.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.78 ₱49.30

44.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.71 ₱44.43

274.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.40 ₱151

115.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.19 ₱453

176.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.01 ₱63.7

187.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.47 ₱92.2

146.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.22 ₱13.74

409.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$11.28 ₱710

543.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.77 ₱48.76

177.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.25 ₱15.81

528.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.89 ₱119

350.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.93 ₱58.3

63.44%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$16.2K ₱1.0M

33.43%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.3K ₱1.1M

99.34%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$52.3 ₱3,290

84.29%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$19.17 ₱1,207

87.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.21 ₱1,650

104.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$31.95 ₱2,011

124.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.68 ₱295

645.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.87 ₱244

103.88%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$109 ₱6,848

354.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,344 ₱84.6K

782.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$33.49 ₱2,109

61.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.40 ₱1,222

185.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$62.8 ₱3,952

24.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$60.6 ₱3,818

31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$269 ₱17.0K

192.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$171 ₱10.8K

364.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$580 ₱36.5K

579.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$374 ₱23.6K

279.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,452 ₱154.4K

181.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,010 ₱63.6K

21.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$243 ₱15.3K

255.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

43.67%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Polomolok

$171 27.6% 78.5% $623

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Polomolok

$158 25.6% 55% $194

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Polomolok

$59 9.6% 71.9% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Polomolok

$98 15.8% 47.4% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Polomolok

$79 12.8% 33.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Polomolok

$40 6.4% 54.6% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Polomolok

$14 2.3% 83.7% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $269 in Polomolok. 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 256% 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 $17.00 in Polomolok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $158 – making Polomolok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Polomolok

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

07:13 7:13 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

172,605

💱 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 Polomolok 16,170 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Polomolok

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 Polomolok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $620 in Polomolok – roughly 197% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $929 in Polomolok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 544% less in Polomolok. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $109 in Polomolok. 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 Polomolok, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Polomolok 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 $620 in Polomolok 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 Polomolok. 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.