Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Florianopolis and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Florianopolis: $1,276 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Florianopolis
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Florianopolis Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Florianopolis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,276

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,276 in Florianopolis versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Florianopolis $1,276
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,070 in Florianopolis versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Florianopolis $2,070
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,864 in Florianopolis versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Florianopolis $2,864
Nosara $3,712

Living in Florianopolis costs roughly 31% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Florianopolis is 5% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.55 R$47.68

$12.22 ₡5,509

-21.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.58 R$228

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-24.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 R$39.69

$7.54 ₡3,399

5.44%

Cappuccino

$2.40 R$11.98

$4.31 ₡1,941

-44.32%

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

$1.36 R$6.78

$1.72 ₡773

-20.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 R$5.40

$1.35 ₡608

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R$14.78

$3.24 ₡1,459

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 R$17.48

$4.48 ₡2,018

-21.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.17

$1.57 ₡707

-34.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 R$8.10

$3.17 ₡1,429

-48.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.34

$2.42 ₡1,091

-47.52%

Eggs

$2.63 R$13.14

$3.57 ₡1,609

-26.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 R$48.47

$7.43 ₡3,349

30.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 R$20.75

$10.42 ₡4,697

-60.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 R$50.1

$13.66 ₡6,156

-26.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 R$11.57

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.51

$1.61 ₡728

-19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.38

$4.74 ₡2,138

-68.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.23

$1.66 ₡747

-0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.20

$3.72 ₡1,679

-72.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$4.96

$3.57 ₡1,611

-72.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.06

$1.10 ₡497

-26.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.52

$2.55 ₡1,149

-72.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R$14.63

$4.95 ₡2,232

-40.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 R$50.6

$20.01 ₡9,020

-49.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R$7.35

$2.79 ₡1,256

-47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 R$14.47

$3.53 ₡1,589

-17.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 R$6.75

$1.19 ₡537

13.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.9 R$409

$72.1 ₡32.5K

13.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 R$7.93

$2.24 ₡1,011

-29.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 R$8.15

$1.55 ₡701

5.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.07 R$60.2

$8.86 ₡3,993

36.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R$6.56

$1.57 ₡708

-16.56%

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

$24.1K R$120.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

10.52%

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

$34.3K R$171.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-1.10%

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

$85.5 R$427

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-8.50%

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

$12.52 R$62.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-64.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.21 R$111

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-56.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.90 R$149

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-58.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 R$95.7

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-45.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 R$39.13

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$771 R$3,851

$490 ₡220.7K

57.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K R$54.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-7.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 R$327

$53.5 ₡24.1K

22.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.8 R$349

$55.8 ₡25.1K

25.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R$566

$79.3 ₡35.7K

43.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 R$344

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 R$3,273

$786 ₡354.3K

-16.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 R$2,531

$780 ₡351.6K

-34.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 R$6,796

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-64.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 R$5,297

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-24.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 R$14.0K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-59.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 R$7,905

$1,201 ₡541.3K

31.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$996 R$4,971

$876 ₡395.0K

13.64%

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 Florianopolis: 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

Florianopolis

$507 39.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 53.8% $273

Groceries & Markets

Florianopolis

$206 16.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 69.6% $143

Eating Out

Florianopolis

$161 12.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 30.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Florianopolis

$143 11.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 15.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Florianopolis

$120 9.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 49.7% $60

Getting Around

Florianopolis

$97 7.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 10.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Florianopolis

$46 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 91% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $656 in Florianopolis and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florianopolis pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Florianopolis vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $350 per month, with Florianopolis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Florianopolis

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

19:37 7:37 PM

3 h behind Florianopolis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

537,211

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Florianopolis Nosara 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Florianopolis
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

Florianopolis vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Florianopolis wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Florianopolis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Florianopolis, 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: $656 in Florianopolis versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Florianopolis – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,276 per month in Florianopolis versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,276 in Florianopolis versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Florianopolis but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Florianopolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Florianopolis delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,276 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Florianopolis hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Florianopolis 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 Florianopolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.