Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

For one person, living is cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone: $663 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Philippines

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $663 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $663

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,008 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,008

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,354 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,354

Nosara costs about 177% more than Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Subic Bay Freeport Zone is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.65 ₱293

165.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$14.46 ₱911

323.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.06 ₱318

48.62%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.29 ₱144

92.58%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.57 ₱98.9

10.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.33 ₱21.09

296.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.47 ₱92.7

123.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.02 ₱127

121.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.60 ₱101

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.21 ₱75.9

149.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.84 ₱52.7

198.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.88 ₱118

89.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.75 ₱299

56.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.79 ₱302

119.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.13 ₱512

71.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.31 ₱146

1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.77 ₱112

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.30 ₱145

108.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.22 ₱76.8

31.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.05 ₱129

85.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.95 ₱123

89.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.85 ₱53.8

32.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.51 ₱32.17

421.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.97 ₱187

74.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.42 ₱467

167.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.92 ₱58.1

215.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.92 ₱121

89.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.20 ₱12.57

460.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.61 ₱668

584.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.79 ₱49.93

170.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.52

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.90 ₱120

348.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.03 ₱64.9

47.57%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$18.2K ₱1.1M

18.43%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

78.55%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$138 ₱8,657

-29.97%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.33 ₱902

150.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$16.88 ₱1,062

217.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.59 ₱1,863

141.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.67 ₱294

647.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.16 ₱325

52.91%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$116 ₱7,296

326.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,216 ₱454.3K

64.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$35.47 ₱2,233

52.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$20.88 ₱1,315

165.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$64.0 ₱4,029

21.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$55.6 ₱3,501

43.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$129 ₱8,141

509.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$80.7 ₱5,082

884.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$330 ₱20.8K

1093.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$188 ₱11.9K

653.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,555 ₱160.9K

170.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$916 ₱57.6K

33.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$81 12.2% 89.8% $714

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$182 27.5% 48.4% $170

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$99 14.9% 53.3% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$169 25.5% 9.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$79 12% 34.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$40 6% 54.3% $47

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$13 2% 84.7% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $129 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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 $14.00 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $182 – making Subic Bay Freeport Zone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

20:20 8:20 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

221,178

💱 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone 16,040 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $663 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone – roughly 177% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $994 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 585% less in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $116 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone, where all-in costs run around $663, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 $663 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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.