Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contenda and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $870 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Contenda
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Contenda Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Contenda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$870

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $870 per month in Contenda vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Contenda $870
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,325 per month in Contenda vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Contenda $1,325
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,780 per month in Contenda vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Contenda $1,780
Nosara $3,818

Contenda is about 53% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 R$19.65

$12.35 ₡5,547

-68.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.83 R$59.4

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-80.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 R$40.93

$7.52 ₡3,377

8.51%

Cappuccino

$2.40 R$12.05

$4.41 ₡1,981

-45.58%

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

$1.38 R$6.94

$1.74 ₡781

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.07

$1.31 ₡588

-53.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 R$9.82

$3.28 ₡1,473

-40.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R$9.83

$4.47 ₡2,007

-56.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.36

$1.56 ₡702

-31.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 R$8.17

$3.02 ₡1,357

-46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.71

$2.51 ₡1,127

-46.61%

Eggs

$2.57 R$12.88

$3.57 ₡1,605

-28.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 R$50.1

$7.43 ₡3,338

34.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 R$19.86

$10.52 ₡4,724

-62.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.05 R$40.41

$13.97 ₡6,274

-42.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 R$12.25

$2.35 ₡1,054

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.97

$1.61 ₡721

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.90

$4.80 ₡2,155

-75.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.94

$1.61 ₡725

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.89

$3.80 ₡1,706

-74.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.68

$3.69 ₡1,659

-74.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 R$4.11

$1.13 ₡507

-27.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.60

$2.66 ₡1,193

-72.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 R$15.16

$5.18 ₡2,324

-41.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.96 R$19.86

$19.88 ₡8,929

-80.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R$7.40

$2.90 ₡1,302

-48.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R$10.13

$3.63 ₡1,628

-44.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.98

$1.12 ₡505

-11.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.35 R$218

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-40.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$5.96

$2.14 ₡959

-44.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 R$5.16

$1.57 ₡704

-34.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 R$51.1

$8.52 ₡3,828

19.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.12

$1.52 ₡683

-19.74%

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

$18.3K R$91.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-15.44%

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

$21.8K R$109.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-36.81%

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

$84.0 R$422

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-12.72%

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

$8.20 R$41.16

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-77.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.25 R$102

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-62.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.41 R$133

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-63.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 R$137

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-21.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 R$40.85

$7.89 ₡3,544

3.17%

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

$284 R$1,425

$494 ₡221.9K

-42.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K R$55.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-6.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$332

$53.9 ₡24.2K

22.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 R$356

$55.4 ₡24.9K

28.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R$573

$77.9 ₡35.0K

46.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 R$356

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-10.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,719

$788 ₡353.9K

-56.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 R$1,133

$794 ₡356.7K

-71.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$3,725

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R$2,129

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-70.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,493 R$7,488

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-78.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 R$6,819

$1,224 ₡549.8K

11.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.61

8.62

23.09%

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

Last update for Contenda: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Contenda

$226 26%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 252% $569

Groceries & Markets

Contenda

$183 21.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 92% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Contenda

$145 16.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contenda

$113 12.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 65.1% $73

Eating Out

Contenda

$106 12.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 99.3% $106

Getting Around

Contenda

$54 6.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 62.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Contenda

$43 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 105% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Contenda 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Contenda versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $352 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contenda

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

08:52 8:52 AM

3 h behind Contenda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,128

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Contenda Nosara 5,570 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Contenda
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

Contenda vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 111% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,304 per month in Contenda and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $284 per month in Contenda and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $870, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $870 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Contenda. 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.