Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacloban and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $773 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$773

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $773 per month in Tacloban vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Tacloban $773
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,160 per month in Tacloban vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Tacloban $1,160
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,548 per month in Tacloban vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Tacloban $1,548
Nosara $3,818

Tacloban is about 58% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tacloban sits 43% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 ₱193

$12.35 ₡5,539

-75.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.80 ₱995

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-74.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.36 ₱149

$7.52 ₡3,373

-68.62%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₱152

$4.41 ₡1,978

-45.35%

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

$0.66 ₱41.55

$1.74 ₡780

-62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₱23.54

$1.31 ₡587

-71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₱98.2

$3.28 ₡1,471

-52.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₱139

$4.47 ₡2,004

-50.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ₱128

$1.56 ₡701

30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ₱73.9

$3.02 ₡1,355

-61.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱56.7

$2.51 ₡1,125

-64.14%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$3.57 ₡1,603

-45.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 ₱629

$7.43 ₡3,333

34.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 ₱273

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 ₱453

$13.97 ₡6,265

-48.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₱218

$2.35 ₡1,052

47.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₱69.0

$1.61 ₡720

-31.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$4.80 ₡2,152

-51.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ₱93.5

$1.61 ₡724

-8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$3.80 ₡1,703

-37.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$3.69 ₡1,657

-47.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱71.9

$1.13 ₡507

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.22

$2.66 ₡1,191

-75.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₱123

$5.18 ₡2,321

-62.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 ₱392

$19.88 ₡8,916

-68.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.0

$2.90 ₡1,300

-61.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₱104

$3.63 ₡1,626

-54.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱17.05

$1.12 ₡504

-75.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.05 ₱696

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-84.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.11

$2.14 ₡958

-63.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$1.57 ₡703

-85.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$8.52 ₡3,823

-78.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ₱62.1

$1.52 ₡682

-34.87%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-1.93%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-43.16%

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

$120 ₱7,542

$96.3 ₡43.2K

24.41%

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

$14.07 ₱886

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-60.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.83 ₱1,752

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-48.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.70 ₱2,059

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-54.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.69 ₱295

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-86.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 ₱361

$7.89 ₡3,539

-27.38%

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

$134 ₱8,419

$494 ₡221.6K

-72.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,021 ₱505.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-32.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.68 ₱2,057

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-39.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,214

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-65.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 ₱4,797

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.1 ₱3,597

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-28.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₱16.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

-66.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ₱12.0K

$794 ₡356.2K

-75.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ₱32.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-86.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₱22.7K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-74.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,393 ₱150.6K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-65.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 ₱61.5K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-20.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$347 ₱21.9K

$864 ₡387.3K

-59.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

8.62

-16.47%

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

Last update for Tacloban: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tacloban

$202 26.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 74.5% $150

Accommodation & Living

Tacloban

$191 24.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 316% $603

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacloban

$162 20.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 14.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Tacloban

$83 10.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 44% $37

Eating Out

Tacloban

$77 9.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 176% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Tacloban

$44 5.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 97.8% $43

Getting Around

Tacloban

$14 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 519% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Tacloban 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 149% 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 $16.00 in Tacloban versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $352 – making Tacloban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

14:20 2:20 PM

14 h behind Tacloban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,089

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 19, 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 19, 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

Tacloban Nosara 15,890 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacloban
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

Tacloban vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $773 in Tacloban, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 138% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,160 per month in Tacloban 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 Tacloban, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 557% less in Tacloban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $134 per month in Tacloban and $494 in Nosara. 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 Tacloban, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tacloban 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 $773 in Tacloban 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 Tacloban. 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.