Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caxias do Sul and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Caxias do Sul: $817 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Caxias do Sul
🇧🇷 Brazil
$817
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $817 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Caxias do Sul $817
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,379 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Caxias do Sul $1,379
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Caxias do Sul $1,941
  • Nosara $3,818

Caxias do Sul is about 56% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Caxias do Sul sits 39% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Caxias do Sul
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.97 R$34.95
$12.35 ₡5,547
-43.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.56 R$193
$61.2 ₡27.5K
-36.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.99 R$35.07
$7.52 ₡3,377
-7.05%
Cappuccino
$1.94 R$9.72
$4.41 ₡1,981
-56.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 R$7.10
$1.74 ₡781
-18.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 R$5.52
$1.31 ₡588
-16.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 R$11.31
$3.28 ₡1,473
-31.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 R$14.91
$4.47 ₡2,007
-33.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Caxias do Sul
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 R$4.46
$1.56 ₡702
-42.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.66 R$8.32
$3.02 ₡1,357
-45.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 R$5.71
$2.51 ₡1,127
-54.58%
Eggs
$2.00 R$10.02
$3.57 ₡1,605
-43.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 R$51.3
$7.43 ₡3,338
37.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.88 R$24.50
$10.52 ₡4,724
-53.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.20 R$51.2
$13.97 ₡6,274
-26.99%
Apples (1kg)
$1.56 R$7.85
$2.35 ₡1,054
-33.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 R$5.49
$1.61 ₡721
-32.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.58 R$2.92
$4.80 ₡2,155
-87.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 R$8.33
$1.61 ₡725
3.11%
Potato (1kg)
$0.98 R$4.90
$3.80 ₡1,706
-74.21%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 R$3.38
$3.69 ₡1,659
-81.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.79 R$3.95
$1.13 ₡507
-30.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 R$3.68
$2.66 ₡1,193
-72.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.55 R$12.78
$5.18 ₡2,324
-50.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.96 R$19.89
$19.88 ₡8,929
-80.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 R$5.61
$2.90 ₡1,302
-61.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 R$11.24
$3.63 ₡1,628
-38.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Caxias do Sul
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R$7.04
$1.12 ₡505
25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.70 R$219
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-39.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 R$6.39
$2.14 ₡959
-40.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 R$4.08
$1.57 ₡704
-48.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.08 R$40.52
$8.52 ₡3,828
-5.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 R$6.54
$1.52 ₡683
-14.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K R$119.2K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
9.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.5K R$168.0K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-2.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caxias do Sul
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.6 R$359
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-25.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.57 R$63.1
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-64.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.36 R$112
$53.6 ₡24.1K
-58.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Caxias do Sul
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.54 R$133
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-62.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$59.0 R$296
$34.91 ₡15.7K
69.06%
Cinema Ticket
$7.48 R$37.55
$7.89 ₡3,544
-5.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Caxias do Sul
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$406 R$2,035
$494 ₡221.9K
-17.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K R$121.4K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
104.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Caxias do Sul
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 R$253
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-6.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.75 R$184
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-33.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 R$507
$77.9 ₡35.0K
29.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 R$399
$79.6 ₡35.8K
-0.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Caxias do Sul
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$272 R$1,364
$788 ₡353.9K
-65.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$184 R$923
$794 ₡356.7K
-76.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$701 R$3,518
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-82.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$429 R$2,151
$1,419 ₡637.4K
-69.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,769 R$8,876
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-74.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,226 R$6,154
$1,224 ₡549.8K
0.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Caxias do Sul
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$565 R$2,833
$864 ₡387.8K
-34.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
8.62
33.41%

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

Last update for Caxias do Sul: 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
Caxias do Sul
$184
Nosara
$794 332% $610
Groceries & Markets
Caxias do Sul
$183
Nosara
$352 92.6% $169
Eating Out
Caxias do Sul
$127
Nosara
$212 66.5% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Caxias do Sul
$120
Nosara
$120 0.3% $0.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caxias do Sul
$106
Nosara
$186 74.4% $79
Getting Around
Caxias do Sul
$55
Nosara
$87 59.4% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Caxias do Sul
$42
Nosara
$87 111% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Caxias do Sul 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 53% higher in Nosara, 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 $39.00 in Caxias do Sul versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $352 – making Caxias do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Caxias do Sul
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
12:17 12:17 PM
09:17 9:17 AM
3 h behind Caxias do Sul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
463,501
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Caxias do Sul Nosara 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Caxias do Sul
  • 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
Caxias do Sul vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Caxias do Sul and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $817 in Caxias do Sul, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Caxias do Sul compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,226 per month in Caxias do Sul and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Caxias do Sul and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Caxias do Sul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Caxias do Sul and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 66% less in Caxias do Sul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Caxias do Sul and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $406 per month in Caxias do Sul and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Caxias do Sul, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Caxias do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Caxias do Sul and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Caxias do Sul to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Caxias do Sul or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Caxias do Sul and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Caxias do Sul. 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.

Caxias do Sul vs other spots: cost of living compared

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