Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castanhal and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Castanhal: $846 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Castanhal
🇧🇷 Brazil
$846
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $846 in Castanhal versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Castanhal $846
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,353 in Castanhal versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Castanhal $1,353
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,860 in Castanhal versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Castanhal $1,860
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Castanhal costs roughly 54% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castanhal is 37% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Castanhal
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.62 R$28.07
$12.22 ₡5,509
-54.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.48 R$152
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-49.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.34 R$36.62
$7.54 ₡3,399
-2.65%
Cappuccino
$1.87 R$9.33
$4.31 ₡1,941
-56.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 R$6.38
$1.72 ₡773
-25.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 R$3.82
$1.35 ₡608
-42.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.94 R$9.70
$3.24 ₡1,459
-40.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 R$14.27
$4.48 ₡2,018
-36.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Castanhal
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 R$5.17
$1.57 ₡707
-33.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 R$8.16
$3.17 ₡1,429
-48.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.20 R$6.00
$2.42 ₡1,091
-50.41%
Eggs
$2.16 R$10.78
$3.57 ₡1,609
-39.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.24 R$46.14
$7.43 ₡3,349
24.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.06 R$20.26
$10.42 ₡4,697
-61.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.17 R$40.80
$13.66 ₡6,156
-40.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.13 R$10.65
$2.32 ₡1,044
-8.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 R$6.35
$1.61 ₡728
-21.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.13 R$5.62
$4.74 ₡2,138
-76.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.51 R$7.53
$1.66 ₡747
-9.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.19 R$5.95
$3.72 ₡1,679
-68.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 R$5.13
$3.57 ₡1,611
-71.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 R$3.80
$1.10 ₡497
-30.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 R$3.67
$2.55 ₡1,149
-71.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.41 R$12.05
$4.95 ₡2,232
-51.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.63 R$38.11
$20.01 ₡9,020
-61.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$5.95
$2.79 ₡1,256
-57.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 R$10.11
$3.53 ₡1,589
-42.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Castanhal
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.00 R$4.98
$1.19 ₡537
-15.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.71 R$208
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-42.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 R$6.33
$2.24 ₡1,011
-43.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.88 R$4.37
$1.55 ₡701
-43.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.60 R$37.92
$8.86 ₡3,993
-14.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 R$6.23
$1.57 ₡708
-20.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.2K R$115.6K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
6.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.1K R$155.1K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-10.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Castanhal
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.8 R$363
$93.5 ₡42.1K
-22.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.79 R$58.9
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-66.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.26 R$101
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-60.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Castanhal
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.64 R$123
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-65.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.02 R$130
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-26.58%
Cinema Ticket
$6.86 R$34.26
$7.84 ₡3,535
-12.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Castanhal
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$286 R$1,425
$490 ₡220.7K
-41.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,904 R$34.5K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-41.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Castanhal
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 R$263
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-1.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.01 R$240
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-13.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 R$463
$79.3 ₡35.7K
16.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.2 R$345
$78.9 ₡35.6K
-12.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Castanhal
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$345 R$1,721
$786 ₡354.3K
-56.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$233 R$1,164
$780 ₡351.6K
-70.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$645 R$3,220
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-83.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$461 R$2,303
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-67.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,571 R$7,844
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-77.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,125 R$5,617
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-6.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Castanhal
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$876 ₡395.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
8.62
27.61%

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

Last update for Castanhal: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Castanhal
$233
Nosara
$780 234% $547
Groceries & Markets
Castanhal
$186
Nosara
$350 88.1% $164
Clothing & Footwear
Castanhal
$118
Nosara
$120 1.9% $2.3
Eating Out
Castanhal
$113
Nosara
$209 85.3% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Castanhal
$105
Nosara
$180 71.8% $75
Getting Around
Castanhal
$51
Nosara
$87 69.2% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Castanhal
$38
Nosara
$87 127% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Castanhal and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Castanhal vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $350 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Castanhal
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
01:07 1:07 AM
22:07 10:07 PM
3 h behind Castanhal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
192,256
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Castanhal Nosara 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Castanhal
  • 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
Castanhal vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Castanhal or Nosara?
Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Castanhal and in Nosara?
You'd need roughly $1,269 in Castanhal and $2,756 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Castanhal compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $345 in Castanhal versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Castanhal and in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Castanhal compared to Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $846 per month in Castanhal versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Castanhal or in Nosara?
At $846 in Castanhal versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Castanhal or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $846 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.
How safe is Castanhal compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Castanhal and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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