Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Itapema and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Itapema: $772 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Itapema
Learn more

Itapema Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Itapema

🇧🇷 Brazil

$772

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $772 in Itapema versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Itapema $772
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,233 in Itapema versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Itapema $1,233
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,694 in Itapema versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Itapema $1,694
Nosara $3,814

Living in Itapema costs roughly 58% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Itapema is 43% below, Nosara is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 R$28.13

$12.34 ₡5,535

-55.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.67 R$140

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-54.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 R$32.69

$7.76 ₡3,481

-16.88%

Cappuccino

$1.75 R$8.89

$4.44 ₡1,992

-60.59%

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

$1.08 R$5.46

$1.79 ₡803

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.26

$1.29 ₡580

-50.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 R$9.05

$3.24 ₡1,451

-44.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 R$13.45

$4.43 ₡1,985

-40.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.03

$1.55 ₡696

-36.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 R$7.59

$3.08 ₡1,380

-51.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.79

$2.53 ₡1,133

-54.94%

Eggs

$2.03 R$10.28

$3.45 ₡1,546

-41.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 R$42.52

$7.32 ₡3,284

14.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 R$18.52

$10.24 ₡4,594

-64.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R$36.90

$14.10 ₡6,326

-48.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 R$10.46

$2.29 ₡1,027

-10.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.30

$1.64 ₡737

-24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.87

$4.79 ₡2,149

-75.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.57

$1.64 ₡735

-9.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.82

$3.85 ₡1,727

-70.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.33

$3.75 ₡1,681

-72.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.42

$1.09 ₡488

-37.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.19

$2.59 ₡1,160

-75.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 R$10.62

$5.12 ₡2,295

-59.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.45 R$37.75

$19.92 ₡8,931

-62.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.30

$2.80 ₡1,255

-55.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R$10.43

$3.52 ₡1,580

-41.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.67

$1.22 ₡549

-24.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.79 R$192

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-48.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R$5.54

$2.17 ₡973

-49.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 R$3.57

$1.56 ₡698

-55.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 R$33.18

$8.67 ₡3,886

-24.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 R$5.25

$1.55 ₡697

-32.90%

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

$21.0K R$106.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-39.20%

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

$28.1K R$142.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-27.39%

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

$59.5 R$302

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-37.25%

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

$13.32 R$67.5

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-63.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.44 R$93.5

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-65.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.93 R$116

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-68.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.84 R$111

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-38.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 R$32.89

$7.91 ₡3,548

-17.95%

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

$278 R$1,410

$490 ₡219.9K

-43.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,357 R$32.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-46.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.61 R$236

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-14.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 R$217

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 R$386

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.5 R$317

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 R$1,623

$801 ₡359.1K

-60.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 R$1,099

$790 ₡354.1K

-72.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 R$2,897

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-85.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 R$2,164

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-69.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,472 R$7,464

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-79.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,044 R$5,292

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-15.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

8.62

26.68%

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

Last update for Itapema: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Itapema

$217 28.1%

Nosara

$790 43% 264% $573

Groceries & Markets

Itapema

$174 22.5%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 101% $176

Eating Out

Itapema

$106 13.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 101% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Itapema

$103 13.3%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 17.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Itapema

$91 11.8%

Nosara

$184 10% 102% $93

Getting Around

Itapema

$46 6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 92.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Itapema

$36 4.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 150% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $320 in Itapema and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28.00 in Itapema vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $350 per month, with Itapema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Itapema

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

16:35 4:35 PM

3 h behind Itapema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,940

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 21, 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 21, 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

Itapema Nosara 5,740 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Itapema
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

Itapema vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Itapema is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,159 in Itapema 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: $320 in Itapema versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $772 per month in Itapema versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 138% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Itapema runs roughly 96% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $772 in Itapema versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Itapema but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Itapema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Itapema 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, Itapema 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 Itapema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.