Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gramado and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Gramado: $913 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Gramado
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Gramado Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Gramado

🇧🇷 Brazil

$913

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Gramado versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Gramado $913
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,445 in Gramado versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Gramado $1,445
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,977 in Gramado versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Gramado $1,977
Nosara $3,818

Living in Gramado costs roughly 50% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gramado is 32% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.92 R$40.13

$12.35 ₡5,539

-35.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.23 R$128

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-58.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 R$30.25

$7.52 ₡3,373

-20.61%

Cappuccino

$1.68 R$8.51

$4.41 ₡1,978

-61.90%

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

$1.18 R$5.97

$1.74 ₡780

-32.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.60

$1.31 ₡587

-45.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.38

$3.28 ₡1,471

-25.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R$9.91

$4.47 ₡2,004

-56.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.56 ₡701

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 R$7.30

$3.02 ₡1,355

-52.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.68

$2.51 ₡1,125

-55.38%

Eggs

$2.41 R$12.20

$3.57 ₡1,603

-32.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 R$52.4

$7.43 ₡3,333

39.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.12

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.86 R$29.71

$13.97 ₡6,265

-58.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 R$12.52

$2.35 ₡1,052

5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.71

$1.61 ₡720

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.20

$4.80 ₡2,152

-70.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.45

$1.61 ₡724

3.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.04

$3.80 ₡1,703

-73.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.52

$3.69 ₡1,657

-70.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 R$3.02

$1.13 ₡507

-46.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.62

$2.66 ₡1,191

-73.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 R$12.38

$5.18 ₡2,321

-52.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 R$30.16

$19.88 ₡8,916

-70.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$6.00

$2.90 ₡1,300

-59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R$9.81

$3.63 ₡1,626

-46.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 R$6.09

$1.12 ₡504

7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 R$345

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-6.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.47

$2.14 ₡958

-40.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 R$3.11

$1.57 ₡703

-61.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 R$29.78

$8.52 ₡3,823

-31.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.40

$1.52 ₡682

-17.11%

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

$20.0K R$101.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-7.23%

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

$27.9K R$141.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.25%

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

$62.1 R$315

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-35.49%

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

$12.32 R$62.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-65.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.78 R$110

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-59.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.81 R$131

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-63.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.98 R$142

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-19.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.45 R$32.69

$7.89 ₡3,539

-18.25%

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

$295 R$1,497

$494 ₡221.6K

-40.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,296 R$16.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-72.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 R$255

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-6.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.64 R$176

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-37.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 R$360

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.80 R$247

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-38.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 R$2,560

$788 ₡353.4K

-35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 R$1,527

$794 ₡356.2K

-62.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 R$4,702

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-76.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 R$3,044

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-57.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,599 R$13.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-62.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,608 R$8,151

$1,224 ₡549.0K

31.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$611 R$3,099

$864 ₡387.3K

-29.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

16.01%

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

Last update for Gramado: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gramado

$301 33%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 164% $493

Groceries & Markets

Gramado

$182 20%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 93.1% $170

Eating Out

Gramado

$125 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 69.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gramado

$96 10.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 93% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Gramado

$92 10.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 30.4% $28

Getting Around

Gramado

$77 8.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 12.8% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Gramado

$39 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 126% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Gramado and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Gramado vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $352 per month, with Gramado cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Gramado

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

03:05 3:05 AM

3 h behind Gramado

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,134

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gramado Nosara 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Gramado
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

Gramado vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gramado is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $505 in Gramado versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $295 in Gramado versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Gramado versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gramado but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gramado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gramado 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, Gramado 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 Gramado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.