Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Jose del Monte

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose del Monte: $713 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 San Jose del Monte
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San Jose del Monte Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

San Jose del Monte

🇵🇭 Philippines

$713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in San Jose del Monte

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 San Jose del Monte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $713 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
San Jose del Monte $713

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,072 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
San Jose del Monte $1,072

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,432 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
San Jose del Monte $1,432

Nosara costs about 158% more than San Jose del Monte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.09 ₱257

201.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.69 ₱1,051

266.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.87 ₱181

162.02%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.78 ₱112

147.75%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.57 ₱35.83

205.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.33 ₱20.79

296.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.98 ₱61.6

234.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.55 ₱97.8

188.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.66 ₱105

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.11 ₱69.8

172.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.03 ₱64.9

143.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.02 ₱127

76.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.18 ₱326

43.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.35 ₱211

214.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.07 ₱445

97.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.27 ₱143

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.53 ₱96.6

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.35 ₱148

104.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.03 ₱64.9

56.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.68 ₱106

126.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.73 ₱109

113.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.61 ₱38.45

85.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.52 ₱32.85

411.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.89 ₱182

79.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.89 ₱560

123.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.97 ₱61.2

198.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.08 ₱131

74.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.24 ₱15.09

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$11.59 ₱730

526.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.80 ₱50.2

167.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.51

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.95 ₱123

336.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.19 ₱75.1

27.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

2.60%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

80.04%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$124 ₱7,822

-22.50%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.79 ₱994

127.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.17 ₱1,459

131.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.10 ₱2,210

103.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.42 ₱278

689.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.25 ₱331

50.29%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$134 ₱8,428

269.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,925 ₱561.9K

32.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$29.38 ₱1,850

83.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.87 ₱1,251

178.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.0 ₱4,472

9.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$55.0 ₱3,463

44.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$257 ₱16.2K

206.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$164 ₱10.3K

385.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$506 ₱31.9K

677.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$318 ₱20.0K

346.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,707 ₱170.4K

155.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$942 ₱59.3K

29.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.75

27.70%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose del Monte: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

San Jose del Monte

$164 23% 79.4% $631

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

San Jose del Monte

$173 24.2% 51% $180

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

San Jose del Monte

$74 10.4% 64.9% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

San Jose del Monte

$163 22.9% 12.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

San Jose del Monte

$79 11.1% 34.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

San Jose del Monte

$46 6.4% 47.8% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

San Jose del Monte

$15 2% 83.4% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $257 in San Jose del Monte. 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 San Jose del Monte. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $173 – making San Jose del Monte the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 San Jose del Monte

🕒 Local time

15:08 3:08 PM

05:08 5:08 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

651,813

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 San Jose del Monte 15,980 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
San Jose del Monte

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 San Jose del Monte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $713 in San Jose del Monte – roughly 158% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,069 in San Jose del Monte. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 527% less in San Jose del Monte. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $134 in San Jose del Monte. 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 San Jose del Monte, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Nosara at $1,839. In San Jose del Monte 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 $713 in San Jose del Monte 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 San Jose del Monte. 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.