Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manaus and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manaus: $914 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manaus
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Manaus Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Manaus

🇧🇷 Brazil

$914

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $914 in Manaus versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Manaus $914
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,427 in Manaus versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Manaus $1,427
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Manaus versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Manaus $1,940
Nosara $3,712

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Manaus is 32% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.10 R$30.45

$12.22 ₡5,509

-50.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.47 R$137

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-54.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 R$34.80

$7.54 ₡3,399

-7.56%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R$11.40

$4.31 ₡1,941

-47.10%

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

$1.09 R$5.43

$1.72 ₡773

-36.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.23

$1.35 ₡608

-37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 R$13.80

$3.24 ₡1,459

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 R$26.18

$4.48 ₡2,018

16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 R$7.29

$1.57 ₡707

-7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 R$8.27

$3.17 ₡1,429

-47.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.36

$2.42 ₡1,091

-47.52%

Eggs

$2.76 R$13.78

$3.57 ₡1,609

-22.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$49.48

$7.43 ₡3,349

33.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.08 R$20.37

$10.42 ₡4,697

-60.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 R$36.38

$13.66 ₡6,156

-46.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 R$12.35

$2.32 ₡1,044

6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.19

$1.61 ₡728

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.24

$4.74 ₡2,138

-69.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.12

$1.66 ₡747

22.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$5.97

$3.72 ₡1,679

-67.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.84

$3.57 ₡1,611

-67.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 R$3.88

$1.10 ₡497

-29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.46

$2.55 ₡1,149

-72.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.74 R$18.68

$4.95 ₡2,232

-24.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.17 R$45.75

$20.01 ₡9,020

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 R$7.29

$2.79 ₡1,256

-47.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R$8.55

$3.53 ₡1,589

-51.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R$4.77

$1.19 ₡537

-19.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.10 R$200

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-44.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 R$4.93

$2.24 ₡1,011

-55.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R$4.64

$1.55 ₡701

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.73 R$48.58

$8.86 ₡3,993

9.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 R$6.80

$1.57 ₡708

-13.38%

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

$23.6K R$117.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

8.29%

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

$34.6K R$172.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-0.08%

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

$122 R$609

$93.5 ₡42.1K

30.51%

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

$16.07 R$80.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-54.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.37 R$127

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-50.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.46 R$127

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-64.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.55 R$128

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-27.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 R$32.76

$7.84 ₡3,535

-16.33%

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

$225 R$1,123

$490 ₡220.7K

-54.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,143 R$25.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-56.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 R$252

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 R$161

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-42.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 R$296

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-25.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 R$352

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 R$3,186

$786 ₡354.3K

-18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 R$1,169

$780 ₡351.6K

-69.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 R$5,421

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 R$2,323

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-66.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,800 R$8,987

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-74.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 R$6,534

$1,201 ₡541.3K

9.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 R$2,644

$876 ₡395.0K

-39.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.33

8.62

19.84%

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

Last update for Manaus: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manaus

$234 25.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 233% $546

Groceries & Markets

Manaus

$204 22.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 71.5% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manaus

$163 17.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 10.2% $17

Eating Out

Manaus

$129 14.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 62.2% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Manaus

$96 10.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 25.9% $25

Getting Around

Manaus

$50 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 75.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Manaus

$39 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 126% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $638 in Manaus and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 65% 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: $27.00 in Manaus vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $350 per month, with Manaus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Manaus

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

00:34 12:34 AM

2 h behind Manaus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,063,689

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manaus Nosara 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manaus
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

Manaus vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus 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 65% 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: $638 in Manaus versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $914 in Manaus versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manaus but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Manaus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manaus 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, Manaus 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 Manaus 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.