Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Philipsburg and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,149 in Philipsburg, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Philipsburg
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Philipsburg Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,149

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Philipsburg and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Philipsburg and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,149 per month in Philipsburg vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Philipsburg $3,149
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $6,004 per month in Philipsburg vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Philipsburg $6,004
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $8,859 per month in Philipsburg vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Philipsburg $8,859
Nosara $3,712

Philipsburg costs about 71% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Philipsburg and Nosara sit above the global median – Philipsburg by 135%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.49 ANG 27.73

$12.22 ₡5,509

26.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 ANG 127

$60.2 ₡27.1K

17.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 ANG 14.39

$7.54 ₡3,399

6.63%

Cappuccino

$4.38 ANG 7.83

$4.31 ₡1,941

1.62%

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

$2.90 ANG 5.19

$1.72 ₡773

68.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ANG 7.35

$1.35 ₡608

204.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ANG 5.31

$3.24 ₡1,459

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 ANG 11.72

$4.48 ₡2,018

46.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 ANG 5.48

$1.57 ₡707

94.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 ANG 4.72

$3.17 ₡1,429

-16.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ANG 4.53

$2.42 ₡1,091

4.55%

Eggs

$6.54 ANG 11.70

$3.57 ₡1,609

83.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.69 ANG 33.46

$7.43 ₡3,349

151.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 ANG 24.61

$10.42 ₡4,697

31.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 ANG 26.66

$13.66 ₡6,156

9.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 ANG 9.07

$2.32 ₡1,044

118.53%

Banana (1kg)

$5.07 ANG 9.08

$1.61 ₡728

214.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.20 ANG 16.46

$4.74 ₡2,138

94.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.58 ANG 13.57

$1.66 ₡747

356.63%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 ANG 7.27

$3.72 ₡1,679

9.14%

Onion (1kg)

$4.04 ANG 7.22

$3.57 ₡1,611

13.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.88 ANG 8.74

$1.10 ₡497

343.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ANG 2.40

$2.55 ₡1,149

-47.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 ANG 14.61

$4.95 ₡2,232

64.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 ANG 19.37

$20.01 ₡9,020

-45.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.13 ANG 9.19

$2.79 ₡1,256

83.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ANG 4.05

$1.19 ₡537

89.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.47 ANG 2.63

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-97.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 ANG 26.92

$2.24 ₡1,011

571.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$152 ANG 271

$93.5 ₡42.1K

62.13%

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

$32.40 ANG 58.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-7.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 ANG 118

$51.5 ₡23.2K

27.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 ANG 112

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-12.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 ANG 19.54

$7.84 ₡3,535

39.29%

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

$248 ANG 443

$490 ₡220.7K

-49.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ANG 21.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

0.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,145 ANG 3,840

$786 ₡354.3K

172.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 ANG 3,570

$780 ₡351.6K

155.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,614 ANG 11.8K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

71.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,466 ANG 11.6K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

359.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,132 ANG 2,026

$876 ₡395.0K

29.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for Philipsburg: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Philipsburg

$2K 64.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 60.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Philipsburg

$496 * 16%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 29.6% $147

Eating Out

Philipsburg

$256 8.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 18.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philipsburg

$250 8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 27.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Philipsburg

$85 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 3% $2.5

Getting Around

Philipsburg

$26 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 240% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Philipsburg

- * 0%

Nosara

$120 6.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,145 in Philipsburg versus $786 in Nosara. 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 29% higher in Philipsburg, 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 $71.0 in Philipsburg versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $496 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

2 h behind Philipsburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,900 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.499 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ANG – Netherlands Antillean Guilder Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ƒ)

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.499 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ANG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Philipsburg Nosara 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Philipsburg
Nosara

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

Philipsburg vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,149 in Philipsburg, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 71% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,723 per month in Philipsburg and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 4803% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $248 per month in Philipsburg and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Philipsburg at $3,149. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Philipsburg 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $3,149 in Philipsburg. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Philipsburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.