Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Goiania and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Goiania: $882 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Goiania
🇧🇷 Brazil
$882
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $882 per month in Goiania vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Goiania $882
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,515 per month in Goiania vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Goiania $1,515
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,147 per month in Goiania vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Goiania $2,147
  • Nosara $3,712

Goiania is about 52% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Goiania sits 34% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Goiania
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.92 R$29.55
$12.22 ₡5,509
-51.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.61 R$118
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-60.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.19 R$35.90
$7.54 ₡3,399
-4.64%
Cappuccino
$1.71 R$8.52
$4.31 ₡1,941
-60.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 R$5.02
$1.72 ₡773
-41.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 R$3.87
$1.35 ₡608
-42.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.74 R$13.68
$3.24 ₡1,459
-15.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 R$14.62
$4.48 ₡2,018
-34.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Goiania
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.96 R$4.82
$1.57 ₡707
-38.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.96 R$9.77
$3.17 ₡1,429
-38.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 R$6.78
$2.42 ₡1,091
-43.80%
Eggs
$1.96 R$9.80
$3.57 ₡1,609
-45.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.20 R$40.92
$7.43 ₡3,349
10.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.94 R$19.66
$10.42 ₡4,697
-62.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.76 R$33.76
$13.66 ₡6,156
-50.51%
Apples (1kg)
$1.55 R$7.76
$2.32 ₡1,044
-33.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 R$8.50
$1.61 ₡728
5.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.88 R$4.38
$4.74 ₡2,138
-81.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 R$9.81
$1.66 ₡747
18.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 R$5.51
$3.72 ₡1,679
-70.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 R$7.53
$3.57 ₡1,611
-57.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.80 R$3.97
$1.10 ₡497
-27.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 R$3.87
$2.55 ₡1,149
-69.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.73 R$13.65
$4.95 ₡2,232
-44.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.52 R$52.5
$20.01 ₡9,020
-47.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 R$10.63
$2.79 ₡1,256
-23.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 R$8.35
$3.53 ₡1,589
-52.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Goiania
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 R$4.45
$1.19 ₡537
-25.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.13 R$180
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-49.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 R$6.39
$2.24 ₡1,011
-42.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 R$5.57
$1.55 ₡701
-27.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.10 R$30.45
$8.86 ₡3,993
-31.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 R$6.35
$1.57 ₡708
-19.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.3K R$116.5K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
7.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K R$163.7K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-5.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goiania
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.4 R$361
$93.5 ₡42.1K
-22.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.07 R$70.3
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-59.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.51 R$107
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-58.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Goiania
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.25 R$121
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-66.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.15 R$106
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-40.32%
Cinema Ticket
$10.06 R$50.2
$7.84 ₡3,535
28.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Goiania
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$426 R$2,126
$490 ₡220.7K
-13.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,305 R$41.5K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-30.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Goiania
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.1 R$270
$53.5 ₡24.1K
1.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.2 R$345
$55.8 ₡25.1K
24.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.2 R$435
$79.3 ₡35.7K
10.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 R$521
$78.9 ₡35.6K
32.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Goiania
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$327 R$1,633
$786 ₡354.3K
-58.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$231 R$1,152
$780 ₡351.6K
-70.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$947 R$4,726
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-75.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$692 R$3,455
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-50.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,682 R$8,398
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-75.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,598 R$7,976
$1,201 ₡541.3K
33.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Goiania
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$372 R$1,856
$876 ₡395.0K
-57.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.95
8.62
27.03%

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

Last update for Goiania: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Goiania
$231
Nosara
$780 238% $549
Groceries & Markets
Goiania
$192
Nosara
$350 81.8% $157
Clothing & Footwear
Goiania
$142
Nosara
$120 15% $21
Eating Out
Goiania
$116
Nosara
$209 80.4% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goiania
$108
Nosara
$180 66.8% $72
Getting Around
Goiania
$47
Nosara
$87 86.5% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Goiania
$44
Nosara
$87 96.3% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $327 in Goiania versus $786 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 136% 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 $24.00 in Goiania versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $350 – making Goiania the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Goiania
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
05:31 5:31 AM
02:31 2:31 AM
3 h behind Goiania
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,437,366
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
  • Goiania Nosara 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Goiania
  • 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
Goiania vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Goiania?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,324 per month in Goiania and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Goiania, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Goiania and in Nosara?
Groceries cost about 82% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Goiania or in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Goiania and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Goiania or in Nosara?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Goiania, where all-in costs run around $882, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Goiania it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Goiania or Nosara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Goiania – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Goiania or Nosara?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Goiania. 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.

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