Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tuguegarao

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuguegarao: $579 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Tuguegarao
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Tuguegarao Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tuguegarao

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $579 in Tuguegarao, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Tuguegarao $579

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $926 in Tuguegarao, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Tuguegarao $926

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,273 in Tuguegarao, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Tuguegarao $1,273

Nosara costs about 218% more than Tuguegarao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Tuguegarao is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$1.62 ₱102

662.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.49 ₱1,038

271.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.86 ₱180

162.94%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.86 ₱117

137.10%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.44 ₱27.56

295.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.28 ₱17.48

367.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.98 ₱61.9

234.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.64 ₱103

172.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.68 ₱106

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.15 ₱72.5

162.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.75 ₱47.44

234.67%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.02 ₱127

76.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.08 ₱320

46.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.46 ₱218

204.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.69 ₱484

81.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.31 ₱145

1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.61 ₱101

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.34 ₱148

105.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.07 ₱67.3

50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.75 ₱110

117.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.73 ₱109

113.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.62 ₱38.79

82.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.53 ₱33.17

401.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.94 ₱122

167.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.77 ₱552

126.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.97 ₱61.2

198.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.09 ₱132

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.26 ₱16.09

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.09 ₱635

619.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.78 ₱48.85

174.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.42

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.96 ₱123

334.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.08 ₱68.2

40.74%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

1.74%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

76.22%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$31.55 ₱1,987

205.20%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.41 ₱1,096

106.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.02 ₱1,449

132.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.30 ₱2,033

121.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.57 ₱288

663.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.30 ₱334

48.87%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$134 ₱8,446

268.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.6K ₱669.6K

11.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$28.57 ₱1,799

88.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.36 ₱1,219

186.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$39.20 ₱2,468

98.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$23.67 ₱1,490

236.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$265 ₱16.7K

197.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$171 ₱10.8K

364.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$522 ₱32.9K

654.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$359 ₱22.6K

295.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,452 ₱154.4K

181.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,035 ₱65.2K

18.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$207 ₱13.0K

317.13%

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 Tuguegarao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Tuguegarao

$171 29.5% 78.5% $623

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Tuguegarao

$175 30.2% 50.3% $177

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Tuguegarao

$55 9.5% 74% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Tuguegarao

$72 12.4% 61.3% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Tuguegarao

$50 8.6% 58.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tuguegarao

$43 7.4% 50.9% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Tuguegarao

$13 2.3% 85% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $265 in Tuguegarao. 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 317% 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 $16.00 in Tuguegarao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $175 – making Tuguegarao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Tuguegarao

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

04:03 4:03 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

166,334

💱 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 Tuguegarao 15,720 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tuguegarao

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 Tuguegarao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $579 in Tuguegarao – roughly 218% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $868 in Tuguegarao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 620% less in Tuguegarao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $134 in Tuguegarao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tuguegarao, where all-in costs run around $579, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tuguegarao 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 $579 in Tuguegarao 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 Tuguegarao. 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.