Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tagbilaran City and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagbilaran City: $624 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tagbilaran City
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Tagbilaran City Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tagbilaran City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$624

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $624 per month in Tagbilaran City vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Tagbilaran City $624
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,001 per month in Tagbilaran City vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Tagbilaran City $1,001
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,378 per month in Tagbilaran City vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Tagbilaran City $1,378
Nosara $3,818

Tagbilaran City is about 66% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tagbilaran City sits 54% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ₱187

$12.35 ₡5,539

-75.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.24 ₱1,085

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-71.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.89 ₱182

$7.52 ₡3,373

-61.57%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₱156

$4.41 ₡1,978

-43.99%

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

$0.94 ₱58.9

$1.74 ₡780

-45.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₱29.04

$1.31 ₡587

-64.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 ₱52.1

$3.28 ₡1,471

-74.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₱137

$4.47 ₡2,004

-51.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₱97.4

$1.56 ₡701

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₱66.9

$3.02 ₡1,355

-64.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱56.7

$2.51 ₡1,125

-64.14%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$3.57 ₡1,603

-50.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ₱587

$7.43 ₡3,333

25.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 ₱275

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.55 ₱475

$13.97 ₡6,265

-45.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 ₱180

$2.35 ₡1,052

21.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 ₱85.2

$1.61 ₡720

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱152

$4.80 ₡2,152

-49.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ₱95.7

$1.61 ₡724

-5.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$3.80 ₡1,703

-36.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ₱124

$3.69 ₡1,657

-46.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱40.89

$1.13 ₡507

-42.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₱29.15

$2.66 ₡1,191

-82.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 ₱150

$5.18 ₡2,321

-54.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 ₱385

$19.88 ₡8,916

-69.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$2.90 ₡1,300

-68.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₱67.3

$3.63 ₡1,626

-70.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.39

$1.12 ₡504

-58.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.52

$2.14 ₡958

-64.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.50

$1.57 ₡703

-85.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ₱276

$8.52 ₡3,823

-48.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ₱65.5

$1.52 ₡682

-31.58%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-2.80%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-43.23%

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

$80.8 ₱5,085

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-16.12%

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

$14.28 ₱899

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-60.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 ₱1,591

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-52.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.21 ₱706

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-84.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.35 ₱211

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-90.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.62 ₱228

$7.89 ₡3,539

-54.12%

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

$281 ₱17.7K

$494 ₡221.6K

-43.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,018 ₱504.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-32.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.11 ₱2,336

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-31.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.96 ₱1,131

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-67.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.0 ₱4,031

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-17.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 ₱3,591

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-28.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$194 ₱12.2K

$788 ₡353.4K

-75.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 ₱8,774

$794 ₡356.2K

-82.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.0K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-87.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ₱21.3K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-76.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$785 ₱49.4K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-88.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$470 ₱29.6K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-61.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 ₱11.2K

$864 ₡387.3K

-79.38%

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 Tagbilaran City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tagbilaran City

$187 30%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 88.3% $165

Accommodation & Living

Tagbilaran City

$139 22.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 470% $655

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagbilaran City

$120 19.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 54.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Tagbilaran City

$79 12.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 51.5% $41

Eating Out

Tagbilaran City

$76 12.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 178% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Tagbilaran City

$18 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 373% $69

Getting Around

Tagbilaran City

$3.8 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 2198% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $194 in Tagbilaran City 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 385% 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 Tagbilaran City versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $352 – making Tagbilaran City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagbilaran City

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

17:50 5:50 PM

14 h behind Tagbilaran City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,411

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 = 70.78 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

Tagbilaran City Nosara 16,090 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Tagbilaran 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $624 in Tagbilaran City, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 194% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $937 per month in Tagbilaran City 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 Tagbilaran City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Tagbilaran City and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 88% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tagbilaran City, where all-in costs run around $624, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tagbilaran 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 $624 in Tagbilaran City 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 Tagbilaran 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.