Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Surigao

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $736 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
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Surigao Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Surigao

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $736 in Surigao, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Surigao $736

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,124 in Surigao, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Surigao $1,124

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,512 in Surigao, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Surigao $1,512

Nosara costs about 150% more than Surigao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Surigao is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.98 ₱251

210.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$17.81 ₱1,122

243.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.87 ₱181

162.02%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.99 ₱125

121.61%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.73 ₱45.85

138.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.32 ₱19.84

309.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.26 ₱79.4

160.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.13 ₱134

109.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 ₱102

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.98 ₱61.6

208.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.99 ₱62.0

153.54%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.94 ₱122

84.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.75 ₱362

29.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.14 ₱261

154.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.88 ₱433

103.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.07 ₱131

13.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.58 ₱99.2

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.56 ₱161

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.17 ₱73.6

37.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.95 ₱123

94.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.76 ₱111

109.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.82 ₱51.5

37.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.60 ₱37.75

343.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.97 ₱187

74.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.78 ₱427

193.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.05 ₱66.3

176.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.72 ₱108

111.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.26 ₱16.48

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$11.30 ₱712

542.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.66 ₱41.51

224.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.66

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.87 ₱118

355.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.32 ₱83.0

15.15%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

15.53%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.0K ₱1.1M

91.98%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$124 ₱7,799

-22.27%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.97 ₱1,006

124.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$34.80 ₱2,191

53.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.92 ₱2,262

99.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.18 ₱326

573.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.96 ₱313

59.07%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$144 ₱9,095

242.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,892 ₱433.9K

72.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$36.99 ₱2,329

45.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$20.93 ₱1,318

164.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$69.6 ₱4,384

11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$49.50 ₱3,116

60.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$243 ₱15.3K

224.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$168 ₱10.6K

372.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$461 ₱29.0K

754.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$363 ₱22.9K

290.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,434 ₱153.3K

183.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,108 ₱69.8K

10.47%

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 Surigao: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Surigao

$168 22.9% 78.8% $626

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Surigao

$174 23.7% 50.5% $178

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Surigao

$79 10.7% 62.7% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Surigao

$175 23.7% 6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Surigao

$80 10.8% 33.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Surigao

$46 6.2% 47.5% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Surigao

$14 1.9% 83.7% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $243 in Surigao. 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 $18.00 in Surigao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $174 – making Surigao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Surigao

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

02:13 2:13 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

171,107

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Surigao 15,930 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Surigao

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 Surigao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $736 in Surigao – roughly 150% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,104 in Surigao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 543% less in Surigao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $144 in Surigao. 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 Surigao, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Surigao 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 $736 in Surigao 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 Surigao. 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.