Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Castelo Branco: $1,100 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Castelo Branco $1,100
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,666 in Castelo Branco versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Castelo Branco $1,666
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,233 in Castelo Branco versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Castelo Branco $2,233
Nosara $3,818

Living in Castelo Branco costs roughly 40% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castelo Branco is 19% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.05

$12.35 ₡5,539

-8.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 €34.80

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-36.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 €8.56

$7.52 ₡3,373

27.93%

Cappuccino

$1.25 €1.11

$4.41 ₡1,978

-71.66%

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

$1.41 €1.25

$1.74 ₡780

-18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.31 ₡587

-3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 €0.97

$3.28 ₡1,471

-66.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.96

$4.47 ₡2,004

-50.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.56 ₡701

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$3.02 ₡1,355

-56.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.51 ₡1,125

-42.23%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.44

$3.57 ₡1,603

8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$7.43 ₡3,333

17.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 €5.16

$10.52 ₡4,717

-44.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$13.97 ₡6,265

-38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.35 ₡1,052

-10.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.61 ₡720

-18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$4.80 ₡2,152

-63.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.61 ₡724

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$3.80 ₡1,703

-56.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$3.69 ₡1,657

-60.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.13 ₡507

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$2.66 ₡1,191

-69.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 €5.31

$5.18 ₡2,321

15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 €3.01

$19.88 ₡8,916

-82.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$2.90 ₡1,300

-59.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$3.63 ₡1,626

-46.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.12 ₡504

11.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.20 €19.75

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-69.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.14 ₡958

5.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.66

$1.57 ₡703

-52.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 €14.83

$8.52 ₡3,823

95.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.52 ₡682

34.21%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

55.07%

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

$40.5K €36.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

17.27%

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

$120 €106

$96.3 ₡43.2K

24.26%

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

$19.03 €16.92

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-46.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.99 €28.45

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-40.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 €34.97

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-45.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 €5.96

$7.89 ₡3,539

-15.08%

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

$678 €603

$494 ₡221.6K

37.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

42.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 €70.0

$53.9 ₡24.2K

45.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.71 €39.77

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 €73.0

$77.9 ₡34.9K

5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 €60.2

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-15.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 €407

$788 ₡353.4K

-41.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 €323

$794 ₡356.2K

-54.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 €708

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-79.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €538

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-57.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,574 €1,400

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-77.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 €1,176

$1,224 ₡549.0K

7.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,617 €1,438

$864 ₡387.3K

87.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

8.62

-55.34%

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

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castelo Branco

$363 33%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 119% $431

Groceries & Markets

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 73.8% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 8.8% $15

Eating Out

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 37% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2.3% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 65.7% $35

Getting Around

Castelo Branco

$33 3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 163% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Castelo Branco and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Castelo Branco vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $352 per month, with Castelo Branco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

07:18 7:18 AM

7 h behind Castelo Branco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,291

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Castelo Branco Nosara 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Castelo Branco
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

Castelo Branco vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Castelo Branco, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $458 in Castelo Branco versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,100 per month in Castelo Branco versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 227% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelo Branco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Castelo Branco 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.

Expats usually find Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.