Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Pedro

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro: $724 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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 Pedro
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San Pedro Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

San Pedro

🇵🇭 Philippines

$724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in San Pedro

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $724 in San Pedro, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
San Pedro $724

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,089 in San Pedro, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
San Pedro $1,089

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,454 in San Pedro, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
San Pedro $1,454

Nosara costs about 154% more than San Pedro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while San Pedro is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.02 ₱253

207.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.88 ₱1,063

262.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.85 ₱180

163.86%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.86 ₱117

137.10%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.60 ₱37.65

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.31 ₱19.31

322.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.99 ₱62.3

231.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.58 ₱99.2

182.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 ₱102

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.11 ₱69.7

172.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.97 ₱61.0

158.76%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.03 ₱128

75.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.15 ₱325

44.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.34 ₱211

214.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.08 ₱446

97.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.23 ₱140

5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.55 ₱97.7

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.35 ₱148

104.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.07 ₱67.2

50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.75 ₱110

117.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.77 ₱111

108.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.62 ₱39.15

82.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 ₱31.02

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.01 ₱190

72.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.89 ₱560

123.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.91 ₱57.5

218.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.00 ₱126

81.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.25 ₱15.81

348.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.12 ₱637

617.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.79 ₱49.95

170.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.21 ₱13.18

647.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.87 ₱118

355.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.22 ₱76.6

24.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

2.79%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

80.47%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$121 ₱7,644

-20.70%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.89 ₱1,000

125.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.65 ₱1,489

126.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$36.88 ₱2,322

94.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.10 ₱258

751.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.12 ₱322

54.10%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$135 ₱8,517

265.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$9,087 ₱572.1K

30.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$29.09 ₱1,831

85.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.79 ₱1,246

179.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$72.1 ₱4,540

8.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$55.6 ₱3,502

43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$262 ₱16.5K

201.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$177 ₱11.2K

347.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$542 ₱34.1K

626.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$342 ₱21.5K

315.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,313 ₱145.6K

198.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$855 ₱53.8K

43.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$129 ₱8,116

569.94%

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 Pedro: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

San Pedro

$177 24.5% 77.7% $617

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

San Pedro

$171 23.7% 51.3% $181

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

San Pedro

$75 10.3% 64.7% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

San Pedro

$161 22.2% 13.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

San Pedro

$79 11% 33.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

San Pedro

$47 6.5% 46.1% $40

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

San Pedro

$13 1.8% 85.1% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $262 in San Pedro. 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 570% 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 San Pedro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $171 – making San Pedro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 San Pedro

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

03:06 3:06 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

326,001

💱 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 San Pedro 16,010 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
San Pedro

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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $724 in San Pedro – roughly 154% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,086 in San Pedro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 618% less in San Pedro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $135 in San Pedro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Pedro, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Nosara at $1,839. In San Pedro 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 $724 in San Pedro 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 Pedro. 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.