Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barretos and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Barretos: $845 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Barretos
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Barretos Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Barretos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$845

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $845 per month in Barretos vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Barretos $845
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,367 per month in Barretos vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Barretos $1,367
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,889 per month in Barretos vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Barretos $1,889
Nosara $3,818

Barretos is about 54% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Barretos sits 37% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.01 R$35.52

$12.35 ₡5,539

-43.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.95 R$121

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-60.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 R$30.86

$7.52 ₡3,373

-19.02%

Cappuccino

$1.57 R$7.98

$4.41 ₡1,978

-64.40%

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

$1.34 R$6.81

$1.74 ₡780

-22.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.89

$1.31 ₡587

-56.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 R$12.56

$3.28 ₡1,471

-24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 R$15.02

$4.47 ₡2,004

-33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.56 ₡701

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.52

$3.02 ₡1,355

-31.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.00

$2.51 ₡1,125

-45.02%

Eggs

$2.58 R$13.10

$3.57 ₡1,603

-27.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 R$55.5

$7.43 ₡3,333

47.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 R$24.93

$10.52 ₡4,717

-53.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 R$53.9

$13.97 ₡6,265

-23.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 R$12.21

$2.35 ₡1,052

2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.74

$1.61 ₡720

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.06

$4.80 ₡2,152

-66.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.12

$1.61 ₡724

-13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$3.80 ₡1,703

-65.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$3.69 ₡1,657

-67.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 R$4.77

$1.13 ₡507

-16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.19

$2.66 ₡1,191

-68.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 R$12.56

$5.18 ₡2,321

-52.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.51

$19.88 ₡8,916

-59.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R$7.86

$2.90 ₡1,300

-46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 R$13.18

$3.63 ₡1,626

-28.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.12 ₡504

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.46 R$236

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-36.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.02

$2.14 ₡958

-44.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.87

$1.57 ₡703

-51.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.64 R$43.80

$8.52 ₡3,823

1.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.06

$1.52 ₡682

-34.21%

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

$23.5K R$119.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

8.78%

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

$31.9K R$161.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-7.49%

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

$30.25 R$153

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-68.58%

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

$6.04 R$30.62

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-83.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.91 R$80.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-70.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.93 R$126

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-65.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.30 R$143

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-18.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 R$40.60

$7.89 ₡3,539

1.52%

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

$435 R$2,206

$494 ₡221.6K

-11.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K R$56.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-6.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 R$335

$53.9 ₡24.2K

22.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.73 R$120

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-57.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 R$450

$77.9 ₡34.9K

13.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 R$354

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-12.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,739

$788 ₡353.4K

-56.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 R$1,242

$794 ₡356.2K

-69.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 R$3,625

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 R$2,494

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-65.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,620 R$8,215

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-76.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,235 R$6,259

$1,224 ₡549.0K

0.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 R$2,883

$864 ₡387.3K

-34.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

8.62

25.41%

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

Last update for Barretos: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barretos

$245 29%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 224% $549

Groceries & Markets

Barretos

$221 26.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 59.5% $131

Eating Out

Barretos

$119 14.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 77.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Barretos

$112 13.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 7.4% $8.3

Getting Around

Barretos

$55 6.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 57.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barretos

$52 6.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 256% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Barretos

$41 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 113% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Barretos 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 52% 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 $24.00 in Barretos versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $352 – making Barretos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Barretos

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

06:27 6:27 AM

3 h behind Barretos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,485

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

Barretos Nosara 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Barretos
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

Barretos vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $845 in Barretos, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 118% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,268 per month in Barretos 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 Barretos, 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 $24.00 in Barretos 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 $845 in Barretos and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 118%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barretos, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Barretos 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 $845 in Barretos 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 Barretos. 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.