Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $749 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$749

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $749 per month in San Juan vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

San Juan $749
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,101 per month in San Juan vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

San Juan $1,101
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,452 per month in San Juan vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

San Juan $1,452
Nosara $3,818

San Juan is about 59% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Juan sits 45% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 ₱255

$12.35 ₡5,539

-67.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.88 ₱1,063

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-72.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱177

$7.52 ₡3,373

-62.50%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ₱174

$4.41 ₡1,978

-37.41%

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

$0.66 ₱41.30

$1.74 ₡780

-62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.48

$1.31 ₡587

-76.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$3.28 ₡1,471

-67.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₱98.5

$4.47 ₡2,004

-65.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱107

$1.56 ₡701

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱70.5

$3.02 ₡1,355

-62.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱52.7

$2.51 ₡1,125

-66.53%

Eggs

$1.82 ₱114

$3.57 ₡1,603

-49.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.24 ₱330

$7.43 ₡3,333

-29.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ₱218

$10.52 ₡4,717

-67.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 ₱454

$13.97 ₡6,265

-48.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.35 ₡1,052

-1.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 ₱85.9

$1.61 ₡720

-15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$4.80 ₡2,152

-51.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.61 ₡724

-34.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ₱107

$3.80 ₡1,703

-55.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱109

$3.69 ₡1,657

-52.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ₱42.17

$1.13 ₡507

-40.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$2.66 ₡1,191

-63.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ₱171

$5.18 ₡2,321

-47.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 ₱490

$19.88 ₡8,916

-60.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$2.90 ₡1,300

-68.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₱116

$3.63 ₡1,626

-49.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.26

$1.12 ₡504

-76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.14 ₱764

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-83.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.71

$2.14 ₡958

-63.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.52

$1.57 ₡703

-85.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₱123

$8.52 ₡3,823

-77.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱77.8

$1.52 ₡682

-18.42%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-2.93%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-45.07%

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

$141 ₱8,877

$96.3 ₡43.2K

46.42%

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

$14.25 ₱897

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-60.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.38 ₱1,535

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-54.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 ₱1,893

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-58.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.41 ₱278

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-87.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱319

$7.89 ₡3,539

-35.74%

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

$74.3 ₱4,677

$494 ₡221.6K

-84.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,556 ₱160.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-78.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.32 ₱1,846

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-45.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.71 ₱1,241

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-64.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 ₱4,539

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.8 ₱3,573

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-28.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 ₱19.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-61.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-78.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ₱32.4K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-86.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 ₱19.0K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-78.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₱168.8K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-61.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ₱70.2K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-8.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$243 ₱15.3K

$864 ₡387.3K

-71.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.62

-21.69%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$180 24%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 3.4% $6.1

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$175 23.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 102% $178

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$173 23.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 358% $621

Eating Out

San Juan

$86 11.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 145% $126

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$80 10.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 50% $40

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$40 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 117% $47

Getting Around

San Juan

$15 2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 476% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $303 in San Juan versus $788 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 255% 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 $17.00 in San Juan versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $352 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Juan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

14:09 2:09 PM

14 h behind San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,347

4,912

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Juan Nosara 16,000 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

San Juan
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

San Juan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $749 in San Juan, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 145% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,124 per month in San Juan and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 498% less in San Juan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $74.3 per month in San Juan and $494 in Nosara. 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 San Juan, where all-in costs run around $749, than in Nosara at $1,839. In San Juan 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 $749 in San Juan 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 San Juan. 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.