Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tarlac City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $531 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tarlac 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 Tarlac City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $531 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Tarlac City $531

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $815 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Tarlac City $815

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,098 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Tarlac City $1,098

Nosara costs about 246% more than Tarlac City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Tarlac City is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.04 ₱129

505.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$8.02 ₱505

662.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.84 ₱179

164.79%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.84 ₱116

139.67%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.46 ₱28.88

278.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.30 ₱19.04

336.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.02 ₱64.2

221.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.63 ₱102

174.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.70 ₱107

-8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.15 ₱72.5

162.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.01 ₱63.8

148.51%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.95 ₱123

83.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.15 ₱325

44.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.66 ₱168

295.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.37 ₱401

119.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.61 ₱101

45.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.58 ₱99.6

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.95 ₱123

146.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.06 ₱67.1

51.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.74 ₱110

118.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.20 ₱75.6

207.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.62 ₱39.30

82.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 ₱30.88

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.99 ₱188

73.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$3.80 ₱239

423.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.90 ₱56.4

222.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.54 ₱96.9

135.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.23 ₱14.42

386.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$8.22 ₱517

783.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.76 ₱47.98

181.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.25 ₱15.82

528.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.32 ₱83.2

545.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.19 ₱75.2

27.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

1.83%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

77.12%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$89.9 ₱5,661

7.10%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$5.72 ₱360

527.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.40 ₱1,473

129.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.83 ₱2,508

79.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$16.18 ₱1,019

115.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.12 ₱322

54.10%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$132 ₱8,311

274.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.6K ₱669.2K

11.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$28.81 ₱1,814

87.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.45 ₱1,224

184.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$62.3 ₱3,924

25.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$49.52 ₱3,118

60.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$87.6 ₱5,512

800.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$70.7 ₱4,451

1023.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$258 ₱16.3K

1425.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$165 ₱10.4K

760.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$375 ₱23.6K

1742.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$292 ₱18.4K

319.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$210 ₱13.2K

311.14%

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 Tarlac City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Tarlac City

$71 13.3% 91.1% $724

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Tarlac City

$150 28.2% 57.4% $202

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Tarlac City

$58 11% 72.4% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Tarlac City

$119 22.4% 35.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Tarlac City

$72 13.6% 40% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tarlac City

$50 9.4% 42.7% $37

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Tarlac City

$11 2.1% 87.2% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $87.6 in Tarlac 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 311% 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 $8.00 in Tarlac City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $150 – making Tarlac City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

22:07 10:07 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

385,398

💱 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 Tarlac City 15,970 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tarlac 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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $531 in Tarlac City – roughly 246% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $797 in Tarlac City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 784% less in Tarlac City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $132 in Tarlac City. 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 Tarlac City, where all-in costs run around $531, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tarlac 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 $531 in Tarlac 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 Tarlac 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.