Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasschaat and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,116 in Brasschaat, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Brasschaat
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,116
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,116 per month in Brasschaat vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Brasschaat $2,116
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,166 per month in Brasschaat vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Brasschaat $3,166
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,217 per month in Brasschaat vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Brasschaat $4,217
  • Nosara $3,818

Brasschaat costs about 15% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brasschaat and Nosara sit above the global median – Brasschaat by 57%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brasschaat
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.53 €20.04
$12.35 ₡5,539
82.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 €93.0
$61.2 ₡27.4K
70.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.91 €14.15
$7.52 ₡3,373
111.57%
Cappuccino
$4.25 €3.78
$4.41 ₡1,978
-3.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 €3.16
$1.74 ₡780
104.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 €2.92
$1.31 ₡587
151.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.50 €4.89
$3.28 ₡1,471
67.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.03 €5.36
$4.47 ₡2,004
34.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brasschaat
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.56 ₡701
-19.23%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 €2.37
$3.02 ₡1,355
-11.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$2.51 ₡1,125
-14.34%
Eggs
$3.74 €3.32
$3.57 ₡1,603
4.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.40 €15.48
$7.43 ₡3,333
134.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.17 €10.82
$10.52 ₡4,717
15.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.55 €17.39
$13.97 ₡6,265
39.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 €2.43
$2.35 ₡1,052
16.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$1.61 ₡720
53.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.66 €2.37
$4.80 ₡2,152
-44.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$1.61 ₡724
102.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.35 €2.09
$3.80 ₡1,703
-38.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 €1.74
$3.69 ₡1,657
-46.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.13 ₡507
33.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 €0.96
$2.66 ₡1,191
-59.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.24 €11.78
$5.18 ₡2,321
155.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.11 €8.11
$19.88 ₡8,916
-54.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.90 ₡1,300
-34.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 €1.75
$3.63 ₡1,626
-46.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Brasschaat
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.02 €2.69
$1.12 ₡504
169.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.50 €34.25
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-47.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.48 €4.88
$2.14 ₡958
156.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.64 €2.35
$1.57 ₡703
68.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.88 €22.13
$8.52 ₡3,823
192.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.52 ₡682
32.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.7K €30.8K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
60.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K €29.9K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-2.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasschaat
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 €196
$96.3 ₡43.2K
128.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.68 €18.40
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-42.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.82 €42.53
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-10.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brasschaat
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.06 €32.07
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-49.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.22 €17.98
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-42.08%
Cinema Ticket
$15.27 €13.59
$7.89 ₡3,539
93.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brasschaat
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$562 €500
$494 ₡221.6K
13.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K €19.0K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
79.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brasschaat
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.1
$53.9 ₡24.2K
100.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.31 €41.19
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-16.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.1
$77.9 ₡34.9K
32.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$148 €131
$79.6 ₡35.7K
85.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brasschaat
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$938 €834
$788 ₡353.4K
18.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$812 €722
$794 ₡356.2K
2.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,383 €1,230
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-64.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,159 €1,031
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-18.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,653 €4,139
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-32.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,801 €2,491
$1,224 ₡549.0K
128.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brasschaat
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,923 €2,600
$864 ₡387.3K
238.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.2
8.62
-62.88%

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

Last update for Brasschaat: 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
Brasschaat
$812
Nosara
$794 2.1% $17
Groceries & Markets
Brasschaat
$352
Nosara
$352 0.2% $0.7
Eating Out
Brasschaat
$346
Nosara
$212 38.8% $134
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasschaat
$288
Nosara
$186 35.6% $103
Clothing & Footwear
Brasschaat
$183
Nosara
$120 34.2% $62
Getting Around
Brasschaat
$69
Nosara
$87 25.8% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Brasschaat
$67
Nosara
$87 31.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $938 in Brasschaat 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 238% higher in Brasschaat, 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 $105 in Brasschaat versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Brasschaat vs $352 in Nosara – so Brasschaat wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Brasschaat
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
09:20 9:20 AM
01:20 1:20 AM
8 h behind Brasschaat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,190
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brasschaat Nosara 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brasschaat
  • 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
Brasschaat vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brasschaat or Nosara?
Brasschaat costs about 15% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brasschaat and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,174 per month in Brasschaat and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Brasschaat or Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Brasschaat compared to Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,116 in Brasschaat and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 15%.
How expensive is transport in Brasschaat compared to Nosara?
Public transport costs about 89% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Brasschaat or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Brasschaat at $2,116. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brasschaat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Brasschaat or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,116 in Brasschaat. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Brasschaat compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Brasschaat or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brasschaat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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