Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mindelo and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mindelo: $391 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mindelo

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$391

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $391 per month in Mindelo vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Mindelo $391
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $903 per month in Mindelo vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Mindelo $903
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,414 per month in Mindelo vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Mindelo $1,414
Nosara $3,712

Mindelo is about 79% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Mindelo sits 71% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.09 CVE 895

$12.22 ₡5,509

-25.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 CVE 5,465

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-7.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$1.14 CVE 112

$4.31 ₡1,941

-73.55%

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

$1.26 CVE 124

$1.72 ₡773

-26.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CVE 97.7

$1.35 ₡608

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 CVE 262

$3.24 ₡1,459

-17.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CVE 152

$4.48 ₡2,018

-65.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 CVE 148

$1.57 ₡707

-4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 CVE 112

$3.17 ₡1,429

-64.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 CVE 77.9

$2.42 ₡1,091

-67.36%

Eggs

$2.63 CVE 259

$3.57 ₡1,609

-26.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.99 CVE 1,573

$7.43 ₡3,349

115.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 CVE 1,717

$13.66 ₡6,156

27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 CVE 219

$2.32 ₡1,044

-3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 CVE 193

$1.61 ₡728

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 CVE 278

$4.74 ₡2,138

-40.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 CVE 296

$1.66 ₡747

81.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 CVE 81.0

$3.72 ₡1,679

-77.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 CVE 169

$3.57 ₡1,611

-51.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CVE 98.0

$1.10 ₡497

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 CVE 74.3

$2.55 ₡1,149

-70.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.97 CVE 489

$4.95 ₡2,232

0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 CVE 806

$20.01 ₡9,020

-59.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CVE 188

$2.79 ₡1,256

-31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CVE 203

$3.53 ₡1,589

-41.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 CVE 44.33

$1.19 ₡537

-62.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.95 CVE 2,947

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-58.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 CVE 154

$2.24 ₡1,011

-30.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CVE 146

$1.55 ₡701

-3.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 CVE 1,011

$8.86 ₡3,993

16.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 CVE 172

$1.57 ₡708

11.46%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.07 CVE 302

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-91.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 CVE 35.4K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-90.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 CVE 25.2K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-81.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Mindelo: 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

Mindelo

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Mindelo

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Mindelo

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mindelo

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Mindelo

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Mindelo

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Mindelo

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Mindelo versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $350 – making Mindelo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇻 Mindelo

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

19:04 7:04 PM

5 h behind Mindelo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CVE = 10.16 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.06 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CVE – Cabo Verdean Escudo Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇻 Cabo Verdean Escudo ($)

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 98.4 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.06 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 CVE in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mindelo Nosara 6,580 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mindelo
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

Mindelo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 369%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $587 per month in Mindelo and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 141% less in Mindelo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 46% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mindelo, where all-in costs run around $391, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Mindelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mindelo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Mindelo. 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.