Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookings, OR and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,846 a month against $2,632 in Brookings, OR, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brookings, OR, United States
Nosara, Costa Rica
Brookings, OR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,632
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,632 per month in Brookings, OR vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Brookings, OR $2,632
  • Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $3,869 per month in Brookings, OR vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Brookings, OR $3,869
  • Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $5,107 per month in Brookings, OR vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Brookings, OR $5,107
  • Nosara $3,820

Brookings, OR costs about 43% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brookings, OR and Nosara sit above the global median – Brookings, OR by 93%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brookings, OR
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.05 $20.05
$12.36 ₡5,575
62.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.7 $74.7
$60.8 ₡27.4K
22.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.62 $9.62
$7.88 ₡3,557
22.08%
Cappuccino
$6.35 $6.35
$4.40 ₡1,986
44.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$1.72 ₡776
93.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.34 ₡603
52.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.04 $6.04
$3.34 ₡1,505
80.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.80 $6.80
$4.54 ₡2,048
49.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brookings, OR
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.64 ₡739
-35.98%
White Bread (500g)
$4.35 $4.35
$3.16 ₡1,426
37.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.42 $4.42
$2.39 ₡1,080
84.94%
Eggs
$6.08 $6.08
$3.47 ₡1,564
75.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.79 $12.79
$7.13 ₡3,217
79.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.83 $11.83
$10.32 ₡4,655
14.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.16 $16.16
$13.97 ₡6,302
15.68%
Apples (1kg)
$5.23 $5.23
$2.29 ₡1,031
128.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.62 ₡731
0.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$4.81 ₡2,169
-8.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.74 $4.74
$1.68 ₡758
182.14%
Potato (1kg)
$2.76 $2.76
$3.91 ₡1,765
-29.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$3.63 ₡1,640
-26.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.13 ₡509
121.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$2.63 ₡1,188
-14.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.29 $10.29
$5.02 ₡2,267
104.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.04 $15.04
$19.71 ₡8,893
-23.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.91 ₡1,314
-31.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$3.54 ₡1,597
-11.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Brookings, OR
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.21 ₡545
89.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.9 $57.9
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-21.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.40 $3.40
$2.15 ₡969
58.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.63 ₡738
-7.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.65 $27.65
$8.77 ₡3,958
215.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.55 ₡700
-21.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$33.9K ₡15.3M
-27.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K $29.3K
$38.5K ₡17.4M
-23.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brookings, OR
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 $224
$95.2 ₡43.0K
135.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.5 $58.5
$36.29 ₡16.4K
61.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.2 $70.2
$52.0 ₡23.5K
34.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brookings, OR
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.77 $35.77
$67.6 ₡30.5K
-47.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.82 $13.82
$7.54 ₡3,404
83.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brookings, OR
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,382 $1,382
$496 ₡224.0K
178.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.9K $24.9K
$11.8K ₡5.3M
111.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brookings, OR
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 $53.3
$55.1 ₡24.9K
-3.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.72 $44.72
$56.1 ₡25.3K
-20.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.8 $88.8
$77.8 ₡35.1K
14.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$79.1 ₡35.7K
43.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brookings, OR
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,540 $1,540
$817 ₡368.9K
88.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,255 $1,255
$806 ₡363.6K
55.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,508 $2,508
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-37.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,110 $2,110
$1,429 ₡644.9K
47.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,303 $3,303
$7,068 ₡3.2M
-53.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,240 $3,240
$1,197 ₡540.1K
170.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brookings, OR
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$888 ₡400.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
8.62
-23.78%

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

Last update for Brookings, OR: October 27, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brookings, OR
$1.3K
Nosara
$806 35.8% $450
Groceries & Markets
Brookings, OR
$416
Nosara
$351 15.6% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brookings, OR
$353
Nosara
$184 48% $169
Eating Out
Brookings, OR
$331
Nosara
$213 35.5% $118
Clothing & Footwear
Brookings, OR
$135
Nosara
$121 10.7% $14
Getting Around
Brookings, OR
$78
Nosara
$89 14% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Brookings, OR
$63
Nosara
$83 30.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,540 in Brookings, OR versus $817 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Brookings, OR versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $351 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brookings, OR
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:46 2:46 PM
15:46 3:46 PM
1 h ahead of Brookings, OR
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,802
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brookings, OR Nosara 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brookings, OR
  • 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
Brookings, OR vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Brookings, OR?
Yes – Brookings, OR is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,947 per month in Brookings, OR and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,540 in Brookings, OR.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 22% less in Brookings, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,382 per month in Brookings, OR and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Brookings, OR or Nosara?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,632 in Brookings, OR and $1,846 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Brookings, OR or Nosara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Brookings, OR vs other spots: cost of living compared

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