Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbacena and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbacena: $857 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Barbacena
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Barbacena Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Barbacena

🇧🇷 Brazil

$857

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $857 in Barbacena versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Barbacena $857
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,305 in Barbacena versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Barbacena $1,305
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,753 in Barbacena versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Barbacena $1,753
Nosara $3,818

Living in Barbacena costs roughly 53% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barbacena is 37% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 R$26.90

$12.35 ₡5,547

-56.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.84 R$105

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-65.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 R$29.80

$7.52 ₡3,377

-21.14%

Cappuccino

$1.74 R$8.74

$4.41 ₡1,981

-60.54%

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

$1.57 R$7.90

$1.74 ₡781

-9.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.31

$1.31 ₡588

-34.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 R$6.63

$3.28 ₡1,473

-59.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 R$11.39

$4.47 ₡2,007

-49.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.71

$1.56 ₡702

-26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 R$10.38

$3.02 ₡1,357

-31.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.13

$2.51 ₡1,127

-51.39%

Eggs

$2.38 R$11.98

$3.57 ₡1,605

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 R$54.4

$7.43 ₡3,338

45.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 R$22.29

$10.52 ₡4,724

-57.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 R$50.1

$13.97 ₡6,274

-28.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 R$14.56

$2.35 ₡1,054

23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.21

$1.61 ₡721

13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.91

$4.80 ₡2,155

-67.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.01

$1.61 ₡725

11.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.09

$3.80 ₡1,706

-68.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.21

$3.69 ₡1,659

-71.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 R$3.56

$1.13 ₡507

-37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.51

$2.66 ₡1,193

-73.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 R$15.20

$5.18 ₡2,324

-41.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 R$39.36

$19.88 ₡8,929

-60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.94

$2.90 ₡1,302

-59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.16

$3.63 ₡1,628

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.87

$1.12 ₡505

-13.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R$226

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-37.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 R$6.35

$2.14 ₡959

-41.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.27

$1.57 ₡704

-45.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 R$46.99

$8.52 ₡3,828

9.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R$6.57

$1.52 ₡683

-13.82%

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

$23.5K R$118.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

8.79%

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

$32.7K R$164.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-5.25%

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

$136 R$686

$96.3 ₡43.2K

41.72%

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

$11.02 R$55.4

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-69.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.95 R$115

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-57.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.50 R$133

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-62.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.48 R$148

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-15.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.94 R$39.92

$7.89 ₡3,544

0.63%

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

$596 R$2,997

$494 ₡221.9K

20.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

13.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.74 R$210

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-22.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.77 R$245

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-11.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$380

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 R$338

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 R$1,174

$788 ₡353.9K

-70.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 R$842

$794 ₡356.7K

-78.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,182

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-88.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 R$1,542

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-78.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 R$8,189

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-76.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,334 R$6,704

$1,224 ₡549.8K

8.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.62

38.40%

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

Last update for Barbacena: 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

Barbacena

$215 25.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 63.9% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbacena

$170 19.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 9% $15

Accommodation & Living

Barbacena

$168 19.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 374% $627

Clothing & Footwear

Barbacena

$105 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 14.4% $15

Eating Out

Barbacena

$102 11.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 107% $110

Getting Around

Barbacena

$54 6.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 60% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Barbacena

$42 5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 106% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $234 in Barbacena and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Barbacena vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $352 per month, with Barbacena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Barbacena

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

05:55 5:55 AM

3 h behind Barbacena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,317

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barbacena Nosara 5,740 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barbacena
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

Barbacena vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbacena and Nosara differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($857 vs $1,839 including rent). Barbacena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,286 in Barbacena and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $234 in Barbacena versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $857 per month in Barbacena versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barbacena runs roughly 61% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $857 in Barbacena versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barbacena but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Barbacena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barbacena and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barbacena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.