Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tagum City and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $437 per month in Tagum City vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Tagum City $437
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $541 per month in Tagum City vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Tagum City $541
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $645 per month in Tagum City vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Tagum City $645
Nosara $3,818

Tagum City is about 76% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tagum City sits 68% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 ₱346

$12.35 ₡5,539

-55.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.68 ₱799

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-79.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ₱318

$7.52 ₡3,373

-32.85%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₱144

$4.41 ₡1,978

-48.07%

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

$1.74 ₡780

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₱117

$3.28 ₡1,471

-42.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₱90.9

$4.47 ₡2,004

-67.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.56 ₡701

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$3.57 ₡1,603

-47.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 ₱507

$13.97 ₡6,265

-42.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$2.35 ₡1,052

172.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₱86.0

$2.90 ₡1,300

-52.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$1.12 ₡504

-77.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.52 ₡682

-9.87%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$55.7 ₱3,506

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-42.16%

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

$8.09 ₱510

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-77.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 ₱1,729

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-48.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.71 ₱1,493

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-66.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 ₱206

$7.89 ₡3,539

-58.43%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₱9,992

$788 ₡353.4K

-79.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ₱8,124

$794 ₡356.2K

-83.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$323 ₱20.3K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-91.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ₱12.8K

$864 ₡387.3K

-76.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Tagum City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tagum City

$129 29.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 516% $665

Eating Out

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 114% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagum City

$91 20.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 104% $95

Groceries & Markets

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 306% $265

Sport & Entertainment

Tagum City

$30 6.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 189% $57

Getting Around

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 8611% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Tagum City

- * 0%

Nosara

$120 6.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $159 in Tagum 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 325% 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 $13.00 in Tagum City versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $87.0 vs $352 – making Tagum City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

13:31 1:31 PM

14 h behind Tagum City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,202

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

Tagum City Nosara 16,030 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Tagum 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $437 in Tagum City, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 321% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $656 per month in Tagum 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 Tagum 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 $13.00 in Tagum City and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $437 in Tagum City and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 321%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tagum City, where all-in costs run around $437, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tagum 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 $437 in Tagum 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 Tagum 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.