Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Alfenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Alfenas: $802 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Alfenas
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Alfenas Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Alfenas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$802

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Alfenas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Alfenas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $802 in Alfenas, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Alfenas $802

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,413 in Alfenas, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Alfenas $1,413

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,024 in Alfenas, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Alfenas $2,024

Nosara costs about 129% more than Alfenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Alfenas is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.97 R$20.11

211.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$30.04 R$152

103.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.10 R$30.94

23.28%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$0.98 R$4.98

350.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.59 R$2.98

194.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.59 R$2.98

122.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.43 R$12.31

34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.93 R$14.84

52.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.18 R$6.00

32.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.90 R$9.65

58.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.48 R$7.51

69.59%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.93 R$14.86

21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.64 R$64.1

-41.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.37 R$27.23

95.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.68 R$54.1

30.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.76 R$13.99

-14.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.87 R$9.49

-13.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.57 R$7.94

205.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.08 R$10.55

-22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.39 R$7.05

173.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.31 R$6.65

181.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.31 R$6.65

-13.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.94 R$4.77

182.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.04 R$10.33

153.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.07 R$51.1

97.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.86 R$9.45

55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.48 R$12.58

46.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.87 R$4.40

28.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$49.82 R$253

45.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.76 R$8.90

21.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.02 R$5.18

53.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$10.40 R$52.7

-18.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.29 R$6.54

17.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.4K R$123.9K

-11.57%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.9K R$151.6K

15.44%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$60.7 R$308

58.55%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.86 R$85.5

112.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.97 R$101

168.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.16 R$148

145.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$29.13 R$148

19.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.21 R$36.57

9.43%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$582 R$2,953

-15.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.7K R$84.6K

-28.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$65.0 R$330

-17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$62.5 R$317

-11.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$102 R$516

-23.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$93.0 R$472

-14.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$349 R$1,770

125.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$126 R$640

529.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$663 R$3,359

494.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$473 R$2,398

200.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,464 R$7,422

372.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,302 R$6,600

-5.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$511 R$2,589

69.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.68

-26.20%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alfenas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Alfenas

$126 15.7% 84.1% $668

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Alfenas

$245 30.5% 30.5% $107

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Alfenas

$85 10.5% 60.1% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Alfenas

$98 12.2% 47.5% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Alfenas

$145 18.1% 20.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Alfenas

$44 5.4% 50.1% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Alfenas

$60 7.5% 30.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $349 in Alfenas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $30.00 in Alfenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $245 – making Alfenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Alfenas

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

02:58 2:58 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

78,970

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Alfenas 5,570 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Alfenas

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

Nosara vs Alfenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $802 in Alfenas – roughly 129% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,203 in Alfenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 44% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $30.00 in Alfenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alfenas, where all-in costs run around $802, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Alfenas 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 $802 in Alfenas to $1,839 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 Alfenas. 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.