Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago City and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago City: $854 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Santiago City
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Santiago City Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santiago City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$854

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $854 per month in Santiago City vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Santiago City $854
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,345 per month in Santiago City vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Santiago City $1,345
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,836 per month in Santiago City vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Santiago City $1,836
Nosara $3,814

Santiago City is about 53% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago City sits 37% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 ₱410

$12.34 ₡5,535

-47.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.27 ₱2,472

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-35.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ₱308

$7.76 ₡3,481

-36.98%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ₱168

$4.44 ₡1,992

-40.09%

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

$1.10 ₱69.4

$1.79 ₡803

-38.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱33.94

$1.29 ₡580

-58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ₱147

$3.24 ₡1,451

-27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₱200

$4.43 ₡1,985

-28.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.55 ₡696

23.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$3.08 ₡1,380

-58.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.7

$2.53 ₡1,133

-60.08%

Eggs

$1.42 ₱89.2

$3.45 ₡1,546

-58.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 ₱463

$7.32 ₡3,284

0.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 ₱311

$10.24 ₡4,594

-51.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱426

$14.10 ₡6,326

-51.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 ₱153

$2.29 ₡1,027

6.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.64 ₡737

19.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₱202

$4.79 ₡2,149

-33.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$1.64 ₡735

40.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 ₱230

$3.85 ₡1,727

-5.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 ₱221

$3.75 ₡1,681

-6.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₱70.4

$1.09 ₡488

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.26

$2.59 ₡1,160

-77.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱163

$5.12 ₡2,295

-49.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ₱503

$19.92 ₡8,931

-59.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱83.0

$2.80 ₡1,255

-52.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱129

$3.52 ₡1,580

-41.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.03

$1.22 ₡549

-80.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ₱715

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-84.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 ₱39.29

$2.17 ₡973

-71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.56 ₡698

-85.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$8.67 ₡3,886

-77.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.4

$1.55 ₡697

-18.71%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-37.59%

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

$19.9K ₱1.3M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-48.55%

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

$155 ₱9,755

$94.8 ₡42.5K

63.39%

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

$16.27 ₱1,025

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-54.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.63 ₱1,991

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-40.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.06 ₱2,019

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-56.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.73 ₱298

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-86.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₱458

$7.91 ₡3,548

-8.09%

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

$135 ₱8,518

$490 ₡219.9K

-72.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,571 ₱476.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-36.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.62 ₱2,116

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-38.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.43 ₱1,223

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-65.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₱5,025

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 ₱3,478

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-29.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.7K

$801 ₡359.1K

-66.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.7K

$790 ₡354.1K

-78.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ₱32.8K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-86.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₱22.7K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-74.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,370 ₱149.2K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-66.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₱62.6K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-19.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.62

-12.99%

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

Last update for Santiago City: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Santiago City

$213 25%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 64% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago City

$203 23.7%

Nosara

$184 10% 9.3% $19

Accommodation & Living

Santiago City

$170 19.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 366% $620

Eating Out

Santiago City

$123 14.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 72.5% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago City

$85 9.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 43% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago City

$47 5.5%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 92.3% $43

Getting Around

Santiago City

$14 1.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 530% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $266 in Santiago City versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Santiago City versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $350 – making Santiago City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santiago City

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

18:21 6:21 PM

14 h behind Santiago City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,414

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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 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

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Between locations

Santiago City Nosara 15,800 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago City
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

Santiago City vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $854 in Santiago City, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 115% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,281 per month in Santiago City and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santiago 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 551% less in Santiago City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Santiago City and $490 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 Santiago City, where all-in costs run around $854, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Santiago 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 $854 in Santiago City to $1,835 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 Santiago 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.