Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lages and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Lages: $931 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Lages
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Lages Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lages

🇧🇷 Brazil

$931

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $931 per month in Lages vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Lages $931
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,494 per month in Lages vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Lages $1,494
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,058 per month in Lages vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Lages $2,058
Nosara $3,814

Lages is about 49% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lages sits 31% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 R$40.28

$12.34 ₡5,535

-35.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.35 R$199

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-35.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 R$34.96

$7.76 ₡3,481

-11.08%

Cappuccino

$2.52 R$12.77

$4.44 ₡1,992

-43.24%

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

$1.42 R$7.22

$1.79 ₡803

-20.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R$5.39

$1.29 ₡580

-17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 R$12.56

$3.24 ₡1,451

-23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 R$15.10

$4.43 ₡1,985

-32.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.07

$1.55 ₡696

-35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 R$8.52

$3.08 ₡1,380

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.51

$2.53 ₡1,133

-56.92%

Eggs

$2.46 R$12.45

$3.45 ₡1,546

-28.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 R$52.1

$7.32 ₡3,284

40.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 R$24.73

$10.24 ₡4,594

-52.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 R$50.2

$14.10 ₡6,326

-29.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 R$12.42

$2.29 ₡1,027

6.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.69

$1.64 ₡737

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.16

$4.79 ₡2,149

-70.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.20

$1.64 ₡735

-1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.34

$3.85 ₡1,727

-67.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.47

$3.75 ₡1,681

-71.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 R$4.79

$1.09 ₡488

-13.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.11

$2.59 ₡1,160

-68.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 R$12.87

$5.12 ₡2,295

-50.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.22 R$41.66

$19.92 ₡8,931

-58.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$5.76

$2.80 ₡1,255

-59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 R$11.47

$3.52 ₡1,580

-35.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.09

$1.22 ₡549

-18.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.06 R$223

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-40.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.51

$2.17 ₡973

-41.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.12

$1.56 ₡698

-48.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 R$42.05

$8.67 ₡3,886

-4.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.77

$1.55 ₡697

-13.55%

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

$23.9K R$121.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-30.69%

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

$33.4K R$169.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-13.79%

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

$77.0 R$390

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-18.78%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-65.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.01 R$112

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-58.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.95 R$132

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-64.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.71 R$140

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-22.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 R$38.02

$7.91 ₡3,548

-5.18%

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

$282 R$1,428

$490 ₡219.9K

-42.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,318 R$37.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-38.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 R$255

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-8.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 R$292

$55.9 ₡25.1K

3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R$518

$80.4 ₡36.0K

27.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 R$404

$77.9 ₡34.9K

2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 R$1,833

$801 ₡359.1K

-54.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 R$1,241

$790 ₡354.1K

-68.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 R$3,454

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-82.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 R$2,358

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-66.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,643

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-75.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,216 R$6,164

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-1.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

8.62

33.41%

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

Last update for Lages: 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

Lages

$245 26.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 223% $545

Groceries & Markets

Lages

$207 22.3%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 68.9% $143

Eating Out

Lages

$143 15.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 49% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Lages

$130 14%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 7.2% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lages

$111 12%

Nosara

$184 10% 65.3% $73

Getting Around

Lages

$53 5.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 66.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Lages

$41 4.4%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 119% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $362 in Lages versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Lages versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $350 – making Lages the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Lages

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

15:48 3:48 PM

3 h behind Lages

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

164,981

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

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Between locations

Lages Nosara 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lages
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

Lages vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $931 in Lages, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,396 per month in Lages and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lages, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $282 per month in Lages and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lages, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Lages it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $931 in Lages to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Lages. 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.