Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alfenas and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Alfenas: $802 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Alfenas
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Alfenas Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Alfenas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$802

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $802 per month in Alfenas vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Alfenas $802
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,413 per month in Alfenas vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Alfenas $1,413
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,024 per month in Alfenas vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Alfenas $2,024
Nosara $3,818

Alfenas is about 56% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Alfenas sits 41% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 R$20.11

$12.35 ₡5,539

-67.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.04 R$152

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-50.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 R$30.94

$7.52 ₡3,373

-18.88%

Cappuccino

$0.98 R$4.98

$4.41 ₡1,978

-77.78%

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

$0.59 R$2.98

$1.74 ₡780

-66.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 R$2.98

$1.31 ₡587

-54.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R$12.31

$3.28 ₡1,471

-25.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 R$14.84

$4.47 ₡2,004

-34.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R$6.00

$1.56 ₡701

-24.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 R$9.65

$3.02 ₡1,355

-37.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$2.51 ₡1,125

-41.04%

Eggs

$2.93 R$14.86

$3.57 ₡1,603

-17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 R$64.1

$7.43 ₡3,333

70.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$27.23

$10.52 ₡4,717

-48.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 R$54.1

$13.97 ₡6,265

-23.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 R$13.99

$2.35 ₡1,052

17.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 R$9.49

$1.61 ₡720

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.94

$4.80 ₡2,152

-67.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 R$10.55

$1.61 ₡724

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.05

$3.80 ₡1,703

-63.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.65

$3.69 ₡1,657

-64.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 R$6.65

$1.13 ₡507

15.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.77

$2.66 ₡1,191

-64.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 R$10.33

$5.18 ₡2,321

-60.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 R$51.1

$19.88 ₡8,916

-49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R$9.45

$2.90 ₡1,300

-35.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R$12.58

$3.63 ₡1,626

-31.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.40

$1.12 ₡504

-22.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.82 R$253

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-31.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 R$8.90

$2.14 ₡958

-17.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.18

$1.57 ₡703

-35.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 R$52.7

$8.52 ₡3,823

22.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.52 ₡682

-15.13%

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

$24.4K R$123.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

13.09%

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

$29.9K R$151.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-13.37%

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

$60.7 R$308

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-36.93%

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

$16.86 R$85.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-53.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 R$101

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-62.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.16 R$148

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-59.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.13 R$148

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-16.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 R$36.57

$7.89 ₡3,539

-8.62%

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

$582 R$2,953

$494 ₡221.6K

17.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K R$84.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

40.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 R$330

$53.9 ₡24.2K

20.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 R$317

$55.4 ₡24.8K

12.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R$516

$77.9 ₡34.9K

30.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R$472

$79.6 ₡35.7K

16.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 R$1,770

$788 ₡353.4K

-55.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 R$640

$794 ₡356.2K

-84.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,359

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-83.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,398

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-66.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,464 R$7,422

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-78.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,302 R$6,600

$1,224 ₡549.0K

6.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$511 R$2,589

$864 ₡387.3K

-40.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

8.62

35.50%

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

Last update for Alfenas: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alfenas

$245 30.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 43.9% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Alfenas

$145 18.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.2% $25

Accommodation & Living

Alfenas

$126 15.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 529% $668

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alfenas

$98 12.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 90.4% $88

Eating Out

Alfenas

$85 10.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 151% $127

Getting Around

Alfenas

$60 7.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 44.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Alfenas

$44 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 100% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $349 in Alfenas 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 69% 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 $30.00 in Alfenas versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $352 – making Alfenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Alfenas

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

22:11 10:11 PM

3 h behind Alfenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,970

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alfenas Nosara 5,570 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Alfenas
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

Alfenas vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $802 in Alfenas, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 129% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,203 per month in Alfenas 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 Alfenas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Alfenas and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alfenas, where all-in costs run around $802, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Alfenas 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 $802 in Alfenas 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 Alfenas. 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.