Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tagum City

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $437 in Tagum City, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Tagum City $437

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $541 in Tagum City, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Tagum City $541

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $645 in Tagum City, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Tagum City $645

Nosara costs about 321% more than Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Tagum City is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.50 ₱346

124.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$12.68 ₱799

382.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.05 ₱318

48.91%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.29 ₱144

92.58%

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

$1.74 ₡780

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.87 ₱117

75.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.44 ₱90.9

210.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.62 ₱102

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.88 ₱119

89.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.06 ₱507

73.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.41 ₱404

-63.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.37 ₱86.0

111.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.25 ₱15.76

348.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.37 ₱86.2

10.95%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$55.7 ₱3,506

72.90%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.09 ₱510

343.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.46 ₱1,729

95.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$23.71 ₱1,493

201.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.28 ₱206

140.55%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$159 ₱9,992

396.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$129 ₱8,124

515.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$323 ₱20.3K

1121.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$203 ₱12.8K

325.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Tagum City

$129 29.5% 83.8% $665

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9% 75.3% $265

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6% 53.3% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Tagum City

$91 20.9% 50.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Tagum City

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tagum City

$30 6.9% 65.4% $57

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2% 98.9% $86

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $159 in Tagum City. 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 325% 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 $13.00 in Tagum City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $87.0 – making Tagum City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

11:00 11:00 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

296,202

💱 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 Tagum City 16,030 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tagum City

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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $437 in Tagum City – roughly 321% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $656 in Tagum City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $13.00 in Tagum City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $437 in Tagum City. That's a gap of about 321%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tagum City, where all-in costs run around $437, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tagum City 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 $437 in Tagum City 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 Tagum City. 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.