Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maceio - Alagoas and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Maceio - Alagoas: $851 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Maceio - Alagoas
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Maceio - Alagoas Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Maceio - Alagoas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$851

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $851 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Maceio - Alagoas $851
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Maceio - Alagoas $1,333
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,815 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Maceio - Alagoas $1,815
Nosara $3,818

Living in Maceio - Alagoas costs roughly 54% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maceio - Alagoas is 37% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 R$29.77

$12.35 ₡5,547

-52.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.81 R$150

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-51.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 R$29.49

$7.52 ₡3,377

-21.94%

Cappuccino

$1.77 R$8.89

$4.41 ₡1,981

-59.86%

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

$1.09 R$5.46

$1.74 ₡781

-37.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 R$2.44

$1.31 ₡588

-63.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 R$8.23

$3.28 ₡1,473

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 R$21.02

$4.47 ₡2,007

-6.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.57

$1.56 ₡702

-28.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.42

$3.02 ₡1,357

-31.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.31

$2.51 ₡1,127

-57.77%

Eggs

$1.94 R$9.77

$3.57 ₡1,605

-45.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 R$47.94

$7.43 ₡3,338

28.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 R$22.72

$10.52 ₡4,724

-57.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R$38.50

$13.97 ₡6,274

-45.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 R$14.36

$2.35 ₡1,054

21.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.66

$1.61 ₡721

-29.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.94

$4.80 ₡2,155

-71.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.81

$1.61 ₡725

-16.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.14

$3.80 ₡1,706

-62.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.64

$3.69 ₡1,659

-64.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 R$2.92

$1.13 ₡507

-48.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.21

$2.66 ₡1,193

-68.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 R$10.52

$5.18 ₡2,324

-59.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 R$34.97

$19.88 ₡8,929

-64.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 R$8.09

$2.90 ₡1,302

-44.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 R$7.30

$3.63 ₡1,628

-60.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 R$3.97

$1.12 ₡505

-29.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 R$1.94

$2.14 ₡959

-81.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 R$2.10

$1.57 ₡704

-73.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.44

$1.52 ₡683

-15.79%

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

$21.7K R$109.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

0.60%

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

$31.4K R$157.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-9.13%

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

$81.5 R$410

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-15.39%

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

$16.69 R$83.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-53.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.82 R$89.6

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-66.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.34 R$122

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-66.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 R$30.06

$7.89 ₡3,544

-24.21%

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

$219 R$1,102

$494 ₡221.9K

-55.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,075 R$35.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-40.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 R$279

$53.9 ₡24.2K

2.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.3 R$394

$55.4 ₡24.9K

41.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 R$472

$77.9 ₡35.0K

20.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 R$398

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 R$1,481

$788 ₡353.9K

-62.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 R$1,258

$794 ₡356.7K

-68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 R$2,513

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-87.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 R$2,381

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-66.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,507 R$7,573

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-78.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$698 R$3,508

$1,224 ₡549.8K

-42.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 R$3,020

$864 ₡387.8K

-30.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

8.62

17.98%

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

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maceio - Alagoas

$250 29.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 217% $544

Groceries & Markets

Maceio - Alagoas

$195 23%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 80.2% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Maceio - Alagoas

$138 16.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 13% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maceio - Alagoas

$116 13.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 60.2% $70

Eating Out

Maceio - Alagoas

$109 12.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 94.3% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Maceio - Alagoas

$36 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 141% $51

Getting Around

Maceio - Alagoas

$5.6 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1445% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Maceio - Alagoas and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 44% 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: $30.00 in Maceio - Alagoas vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $352 per month, with Maceio - Alagoas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Maceio - Alagoas

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

05:05 5:05 AM

3 h behind Maceio - Alagoas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,031,597

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Maceio - Alagoas Nosara 5,940 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Maceio - Alagoas
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

Maceio - Alagoas vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maceio - Alagoas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 44% 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: $295 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $851 per month in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $851 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maceio - Alagoas but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Maceio - Alagoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maceio - Alagoas 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, Maceio - Alagoas 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 Maceio - Alagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.