Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brentwood and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,111 in Brentwood, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brentwood
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,111
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,111 per month in Brentwood vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Brentwood $3,111
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,334 per month in Brentwood vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Brentwood $4,334
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,556 per month in Brentwood vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Brentwood $5,556
  • Nosara $3,818

Brentwood costs about 69% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brentwood and Nosara sit above the global median – Brentwood by 130%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brentwood
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.06 £15.05
$12.35 ₡5,539
62.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.4 £60.3
$61.2 ₡27.4K
31.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.34 £8.51
$7.52 ₡3,373
50.80%
Cappuccino
$4.59 £3.44
$4.41 ₡1,978
4.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 £1.36
$1.74 ₡780
4.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 £0.85
$1.31 ₡587
-12.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.55 £4.91
$3.28 ₡1,471
99.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.84 £4.38
$4.47 ₡2,004
30.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brentwood
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.61 £1.21
$1.56 ₡701
3.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 £0.82
$3.02 ₡1,355
-63.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 £1.69
$2.51 ₡1,125
-10.36%
Eggs
$4.03 £3.03
$3.57 ₡1,603
12.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.66 £6.49
$7.43 ₡3,333
16.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.42 £4.82
$10.52 ₡4,717
-38.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.76 £9.58
$13.97 ₡6,265
-8.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.20 £2.40
$2.35 ₡1,052
36.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 £1.11
$1.61 ₡720
-8.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.58 £1.94
$4.80 ₡2,152
-46.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.77 £2.08
$1.61 ₡724
72.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 £0.60
$3.80 ₡1,703
-79.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.29 £0.97
$3.69 ₡1,657
-65.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.80 £0.60
$1.13 ₡507
-29.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 £0.97
$2.66 ₡1,191
-51.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.53 £13.15
$5.18 ₡2,321
238.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.83 £6.63
$19.88 ₡8,916
-55.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 £1.63
$2.90 ₡1,300
-25.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 £1.53
$3.63 ₡1,626
-43.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Brentwood
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.29 £3.97
$1.12 ₡504
372.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.5 £71.6
$72.6 ₡32.6K
31.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 £3.68
$2.14 ₡958
128.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 £1.08
$1.57 ₡703
-8.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.16 £16.63
$8.52 ₡3,823
160.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 £1.54
$1.52 ₡682
34.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.9K £28.4K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
75.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K £29.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
15.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brentwood
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$310 £232
$96.3 ₡43.2K
221.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.52 £10.89
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-59.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.13 £30.11
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-25.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brentwood
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.88 £24.67
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-54.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.89 £17.17
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-34.43%
Cinema Ticket
$20.83 £15.62
$7.89 ₡3,539
164.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brentwood
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,882 £1,412
$494 ₡221.6K
280.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.7K £17.0K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
91.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brentwood
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.8 £68.8
$53.9 ₡24.2K
70.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.16 £30.13
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-27.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 £59.5
$77.9 ₡34.9K
1.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.4 £70.1
$79.6 ₡35.7K
17.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brentwood
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,500 £1,126
$788 ₡353.4K
90.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,847 £1,385
$794 ₡356.2K
132.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,704 £2,029
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-31.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,821 £2,116
$1,419 ₡636.5K
98.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,926 £3,695
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-28.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,907 £2,931
$1,224 ₡549.0K
219.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brentwood
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,357 £2,518
$864 ₡387.3K
288.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.67
8.62
-45.82%

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

Last update for Brentwood: 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
Brentwood
$1.8K
Nosara
$794 57% $1.1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brentwood
$364
Nosara
$186 49% $179
Eating Out
Brentwood
$306
Nosara
$212 30.7% $94
Groceries & Markets
Brentwood
$254
Nosara
$352 38.7% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Brentwood
$137
Nosara
$120 12.4% $17
Getting Around
Brentwood
$129
Nosara
$87 32.3% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Brentwood
$75
Nosara
$87 17.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,500 in Brentwood 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 289% higher in Brentwood, 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 $80.0 in Brentwood versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Brentwood vs $352 in Nosara – so Brentwood wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Brentwood
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
00:42 12:42 AM
17:42 5:42 PM
7 h behind Brentwood
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
76,575
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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
  • Brentwood Nosara 8,860 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brentwood
  • 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
Brentwood vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brentwood or Nosara?
Brentwood costs about 69% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Brentwood and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,667 per month in Brentwood 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, Brentwood 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 do dining costs compare in Brentwood and in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Brentwood and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Brentwood compared to Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,111 in Brentwood and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 69%.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Brentwood or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Brentwood at $3,111. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brentwood it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Brentwood or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $3,111 in Brentwood. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Brentwood 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 Brentwood or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brentwood makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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