Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Valenzuela

For one person, living is cheaper in Valenzuela: $754 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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 Valenzuela
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Valenzuela Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Valenzuela

🇵🇭 Philippines

$754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Valenzuela

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $754 in Valenzuela, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Valenzuela $754

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,106 in Valenzuela, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Valenzuela $1,106

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,459 in Valenzuela, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Valenzuela $1,459

Nosara costs about 144% more than Valenzuela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Valenzuela is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.02 ₱253

207.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.85 ₱1,061

263.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.74 ₱173

174.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.00 ₱126

120.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.60 ₱37.79

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.34 ₱21.10

285.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.24 ₱78.4

164.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.60 ₱101

179.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.61 ₱101

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.11 ₱69.8

172.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.97 ₱60.8

158.76%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.03 ₱128

75.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.15 ₱324

44.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.45 ₱218

204.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.11 ₱448

96.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.45 ₱154

-4.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.53 ₱96.6

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.40 ₱151

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.06 ₱67.1

51.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.70 ₱107

123.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.72 ₱109

114.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.63 ₱39.50

79.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.58 ₱36.40

358.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.57 ₱162

101.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.12 ₱511

144.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.91 ₱57.2

218.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.03 ₱128

78.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.26 ₱16.67

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$11.10 ₱699

554.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.61 ₱38.64

250.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.23 ₱14.49

582.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.86 ₱117

358.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.21 ₱76.4

25.62%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

2.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

77.29%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$142 ₱8,959

-32.33%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.14 ₱1,016

122.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.55 ₱1,986

69.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.02 ₱2,016

123.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.13 ₱323

580.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.26 ₱394

26.04%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$133 ₱8,370

271.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,524 ₱473.7K

57.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$29.41 ₱1,852

83.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.37 ₱1,219

186.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$70.5 ₱4,440

10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$56.2 ₱3,539

41.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$294 ₱18.5K

168.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$176 ₱11.1K

350.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$442 ₱27.8K

791.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$312 ₱19.7K

354.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,066 ₱130.1K

234.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$955 ₱60.1K

28.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$597 ₱37.6K

44.66%

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 Valenzuela: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Valenzuela

$176 23.4% 77.8% $618

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Valenzuela

$172 22.9% 51.1% $180

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Valenzuela

$78 10.3% 63.4% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Valenzuela

$190 25.2% 2.3% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Valenzuela

$79 10.5% 34.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Valenzuela

$45 5.9% 49% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Valenzuela

$14 1.9% 84% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $294 in Valenzuela. 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 45% 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 $17.00 in Valenzuela. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $172 – making Valenzuela the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Valenzuela

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

21:07 9:07 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

714,978

💱 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 Valenzuela 16,000 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Valenzuela

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 Valenzuela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $754 in Valenzuela – roughly 144% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,130 in Valenzuela. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 554% less in Valenzuela. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $133 in Valenzuela. 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 Valenzuela, where all-in costs run around $754, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Valenzuela 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 $754 in Valenzuela 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 Valenzuela. 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.