Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brownwood, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownwood, TX: $1,712 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Brownwood, TX
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Brownwood, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Brownwood, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,712

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,712 per month in Brownwood, TX vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Brownwood, TX $1,712
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,646 per month in Brownwood, TX vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Brownwood, TX $2,646
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,579 per month in Brownwood, TX vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Brownwood, TX $3,579
Nosara $3,814

Brownwood, TX is about 7% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brownwood, TX and Nosara sit above the global median – Brownwood, TX by 26%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 $13.58

$12.34 ₡5,535

10.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$61.3 ₡27.5K

27.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$7.76 ₡3,481

26.68%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$4.44 ₡1,992

19.59%

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

$2.41 $2.41

$1.79 ₡803

34.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.29 ₡580

35.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.24 ₡1,451

108.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 $7.32

$4.43 ₡1,985

65.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.55 ₡696

-54.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 $1.42

$3.08 ₡1,380

-53.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.53 ₡1,133

-18.18%

Eggs

$2.03 $2.03

$3.45 ₡1,546

-41.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 $7.91

$7.32 ₡3,284

8.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$10.24 ₡4,594

-12.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.38 $13.38

$14.10 ₡6,326

-5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.29 ₡1,027

30.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.64 ₡737

-23.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.79 ₡2,149

-43.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.64 ₡735

28.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.85 ₡1,727

-44.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.75 ₡1,681

-44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.09 ₡488

64.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.59 ₡1,160

-6.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 $9.99

$5.12 ₡2,295

95.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.21 $20.21

$19.92 ₡8,931

1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.80 ₡1,255

-39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.52 ₡1,580

-8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.22 ₡549

84.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.17 ₡973

35.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.56 ₡698

10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 $33.87

$8.67 ₡3,886

290.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.55 ₡697

-38.71%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-21.26%

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

$22.4K $22.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-42.18%

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

$99.8 $99.8

$94.8 ₡42.5K

5.22%

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

$47.47 $47.47

$36.15 ₡16.2K

31.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.48 $39.48

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-25.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.24 $42.24

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-42.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 $11.20

$7.91 ₡3,548

41.59%

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

$1,329 $1,329

$490 ₡219.9K

171.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

98.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$54.8 ₡24.6K

6.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.56 $37.56

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-32.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$80.4 ₡36.0K

6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 $68.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-11.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$801 ₡359.1K

101.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 $768

$790 ₡354.1K

-2.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 $2,478

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-38.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 $1,351

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-4.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 $2,391

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-66.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,350 $2,350

$1,236 ₡554.3K

90.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

8.62

-27.96%

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

Last update for Brownwood, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brownwood, TX

$768 44.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 2.8% $22

Groceries & Markets

Brownwood, TX

$292 17.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 19.7% $57

Eating Out

Brownwood, TX

$267 15.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 20.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brownwood, TX

$187 10.9%

Nosara

$184 10% 1.4% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Brownwood, TX

$113 6.6%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 7.5% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Brownwood, TX

$65 3.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 38.6% $25

Getting Around

Brownwood, TX

$21 * 1.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 331% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,616 in Brownwood, TX versus $801 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 $78.0 in Brownwood, TX versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Brownwood, TX vs $350 in Nosara – so Brownwood, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brownwood, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

1 h behind Brownwood, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,763

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brownwood, TX Nosara 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Brownwood, TX
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

Brownwood, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,568 per month in Brownwood, TX and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brownwood, TX, 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 $78.0 in Brownwood, TX and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Brownwood, TX, where all-in costs run around $1,712, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Brownwood, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brownwood, TX – 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 Brownwood, TX. 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.