Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brandon, MB and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Brandon, MB: $1,631 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Brandon, MB
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Brandon, MB Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Brandon, MB

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,631

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,631 per month in Brandon, MB vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Brandon, MB $1,631
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,582 per month in Brandon, MB vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Brandon, MB $2,582
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,532 per month in Brandon, MB vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Brandon, MB $3,532
Nosara $3,712

Brandon, MB is about 11% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brandon, MB and Nosara sit above the global median – Brandon, MB by 22%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 CA$19.65

$12.22 ₡5,509

13.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.4 CA$87.3

$60.2 ₡27.1K

1.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$15.21

$7.54 ₡3,399

41.78%

Cappuccino

$3.02 CA$4.29

$4.31 ₡1,941

-29.93%

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

$1.78 CA$2.53

$1.72 ₡773

3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.28

$1.35 ₡608

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 CA$5.86

$3.24 ₡1,459

27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 CA$7.52

$4.48 ₡2,018

17.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 CA$1.97

$1.57 ₡707

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$3.17 ₡1,429

-40.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.52

$2.42 ₡1,091

31.40%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.32

$3.57 ₡1,609

-14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 CA$13.34

$7.43 ₡3,349

26.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 CA$14.79

$10.42 ₡4,697

-0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.80 CA$22.48

$13.66 ₡6,156

15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.45

$2.32 ₡1,044

34.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.92

$1.61 ₡728

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.75

$4.74 ₡2,138

-29.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.46

$1.66 ₡747

89.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.26

$3.72 ₡1,679

-38.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.78

$3.57 ₡1,611

-25.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CA$3.62

$1.10 ₡497

131.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.78

$2.55 ₡1,149

-50.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.50 CA$20.62

$4.95 ₡2,232

192.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 CA$16.83

$20.01 ₡9,020

-40.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CA$3.34

$2.79 ₡1,256

-15.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$3.53 ₡1,589

-37.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 CA$1.83

$1.19 ₡537

8.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 CA$97.9

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-4.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 CA$4.05

$2.24 ₡1,011

27.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$1.55 ₡701

-12.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.93 CA$34.04

$8.86 ₡3,993

170.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 CA$1.31

$1.57 ₡708

-41.40%

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

$27.6K CA$39.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

26.59%

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

$19.2K CA$27.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-44.53%

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

$162 CA$230

$93.5 ₡42.1K

73.06%

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

$33.71 CA$47.95

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-3.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.97 CA$68.2

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-6.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 CA$59.8

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.21 CA$23.05

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-54.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.73 CA$15.26

$7.84 ₡3,535

36.86%

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

$976 CA$1,388

$490 ₡220.7K

99.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K CA$26.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

54.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.64 CA$62.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-18.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.95 CA$59.7

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-24.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 CA$95.4

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-15.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 CA$121

$78.9 ₡35.6K

7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 CA$1,115

$786 ₡354.3K

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 CA$807

$780 ₡351.6K

-27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 CA$1,937

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-64.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 CA$1,718

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-14.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,250 CA$3,200

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-67.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,229 CA$3,170

$1,201 ₡541.3K

85.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,417 CA$3,438

$876 ₡395.0K

175.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

8.62

-48.38%

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

Last update for Brandon, MB: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brandon, MB

$567 35.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 37.5% $212

Groceries & Markets

Brandon, MB

$315 19.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 10.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brandon, MB

$243 15.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 26% $63

Eating Out

Brandon, MB

$223 13.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 6.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Brandon, MB

$107 6.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 12.6% $13

Getting Around

Brandon, MB

$84 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 3.9% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Brandon, MB

$64 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 37.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $784 in Brandon, MB versus $786 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 176% higher in Brandon, MB, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Brandon, MB versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $315 in Brandon, MB vs $350 in Nosara – so Brandon, MB wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Brandon, MB

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

21:43 9:43 PM

1 h behind Brandon, MB

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,061

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brandon, MB Nosara 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Brandon, MB
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

Brandon, MB vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,447 per month in Brandon, MB and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brandon, MB, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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 $61.0 in Brandon, MB and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Brandon, MB, where all-in costs run around $1,631, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Brandon, MB it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brandon, MB – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Brandon, MB. 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.