Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imperatriz and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Imperatriz: $896 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Imperatriz
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Imperatriz Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Imperatriz

🇧🇷 Brazil

$896

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $896 in Imperatriz versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Imperatriz $896
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Imperatriz versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Imperatriz $1,395
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Imperatriz versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Imperatriz $1,894
Nosara $3,814

Living in Imperatriz costs roughly 51% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Imperatriz is 34% below, Nosara is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 R$30.38

$12.34 ₡5,535

-51.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.01 R$172

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-44.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 R$39.76

$7.76 ₡3,481

1.03%

Cappuccino

$1.95 R$9.87

$4.44 ₡1,992

-56.08%

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

$1.35 R$6.86

$1.79 ₡803

-24.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 R$2.67

$1.29 ₡580

-58.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 R$10.51

$3.24 ₡1,451

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 R$14.99

$4.43 ₡1,985

-33.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.55 ₡696

-19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 R$7.70

$3.08 ₡1,380

-50.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.18

$2.53 ₡1,133

-43.87%

Eggs

$2.06 R$10.42

$3.45 ₡1,546

-40.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 R$45.69

$7.32 ₡3,284

23.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 R$21.89

$10.24 ₡4,594

-57.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.78 R$44.49

$14.10 ₡6,326

-37.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 R$9.72

$2.29 ₡1,027

-16.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.64 ₡737

-9.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.58

$4.79 ₡2,149

-77.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.03

$1.64 ₡735

-3.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.24

$3.85 ₡1,727

-68.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.30

$3.75 ₡1,681

-66.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.80

$1.09 ₡488

-31.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.08

$2.59 ₡1,160

-68.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$13.63

$5.12 ₡2,295

-47.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.53 R$43.23

$19.92 ₡8,931

-57.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.92

$2.80 ₡1,255

-58.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.73

$3.52 ₡1,580

-39.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.73

$1.22 ₡549

-23.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.50 R$226

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-39.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R$6.99

$2.17 ₡973

-36.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 R$4.59

$1.56 ₡698

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R$42.82

$8.67 ₡3,886

-2.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.55 ₡697

-19.35%

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

$20.7K R$105.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-39.95%

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

$34.6K R$175.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-10.60%

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

$68.8 R$349

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-27.40%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-70.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 R$106

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-60.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.81 R$131

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-65.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.36 R$154

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-14.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 R$38.93

$7.91 ₡3,548

-2.91%

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

$288 R$1,459

$490 ₡219.9K

-41.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,514 R$38.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-36.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 R$309

$54.8 ₡24.6K

11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 R$286

$55.9 ₡25.1K

0.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 R$424

$80.4 ₡36.0K

4.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.2 R$326

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-17.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 R$2,023

$801 ₡359.1K

-50.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 R$1,361

$790 ₡354.1K

-65.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 R$3,518

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-82.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 R$2,265

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-68.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,645

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-75.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,081 R$5,482

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-12.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

27.61%

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

Last update for Imperatriz: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Imperatriz

$269 30%

Nosara

$790 43% 194% $521

Groceries & Markets

Imperatriz

$193 21.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 80.9% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Imperatriz

$119 13.3%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 1.4% $1.7

Eating Out

Imperatriz

$119 13.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 79.3% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Imperatriz

$100 11.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 83.2% $84

Getting Around

Imperatriz

$54 6.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 63.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Imperatriz

$41 4.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 118% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $399 in Imperatriz and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Imperatriz vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $350 per month, with Imperatriz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Imperatriz

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

3 h behind Imperatriz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,110

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 22, 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 22, 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

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Between locations

Imperatriz Nosara 4,570 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Imperatriz
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

Imperatriz vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperatriz is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,343 in Imperatriz and $2,753 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $399 in Imperatriz versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $896 in Imperatriz versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperatriz 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, Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.