Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Aracatuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aracatuba: $876 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Aracatuba
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Aracatuba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Aracatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Aracatuba

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 Aracatuba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $876 in Aracatuba, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Aracatuba $876

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,399 in Aracatuba, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Aracatuba $1,399

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,922 in Aracatuba, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Aracatuba $1,922

Nosara costs about 110% more than Aracatuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$6.10 R$30.92

102.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$32.65 R$165

87.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$7.61 R$38.59

1.97%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.06 R$10.42

115.53%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.27 R$6.46

40.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.77 R$3.91

67.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.02 R$10.22

60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.05 R$15.45

45.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.05 R$5.33

47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.73 R$8.78

78.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.30 R$6.60

94.62%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.24 R$11.34

54.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$9.25 R$46.89

-20.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.27 R$21.65

139.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$8.60 R$43.59

63.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.21 R$11.19

3.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.27 R$6.43

29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.22 R$6.17

292.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.59 R$8.08

3.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.22 R$6.17

215.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.11 R$5.63

237.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.84 R$4.25

29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.79 R$3.99

227.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.53 R$12.80

102.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$7.89 R$39.97

152.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.27 R$6.45

120.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.13 R$10.80

65.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.04 R$5.25

17.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$43.23 R$219

70.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.27 R$6.43

70.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.91 R$4.63

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$7.86 R$39.85

10.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.32 R$6.70

17.42%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.2K R$122.9K

42.50%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$32.7K R$165.9K

18.39%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$75.1 R$381

26.24%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$12.43 R$63.0

190.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$20.99 R$106

152.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$25.96 R$132

184.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$27.51 R$139

29.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.16 R$36.28

10.47%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$279 R$1,417

75.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,322 R$37.1K

62.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$56.4 R$286

-2.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$50.5 R$256

10.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$91.4 R$463

-12.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$72.9 R$369

6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$360 R$1,826

122.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$238 R$1,206

231.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$681 R$3,452

488.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$468 R$2,371

201.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,706 R$8,646

314.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,190 R$6,033

3.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$386 R$1,956

129.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-21.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Aracatuba: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Aracatuba

$238 27.2% 69.9% $552

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Aracatuba

$193 22.1% 44.7% $156

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Aracatuba

$121 13.8% 43.3% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Aracatuba

$109 12.4% 41% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Aracatuba

$122 13.9% 0.9% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Aracatuba

$40 4.6% 55.1% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Aracatuba

$53 6.1% 40% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $360 in Aracatuba. 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 130% 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 $33.00 in Aracatuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $193 – making Aracatuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Aracatuba

🕒 Local time

16:44 4:44 PM

19:44 7:44 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

200,124

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Aracatuba 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Aracatuba

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 Aracatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $876 in Aracatuba – roughly 110% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,314 in Aracatuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $279 in Aracatuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% 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 Aracatuba, where all-in costs run around $876, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Aracatuba 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 $876 in Aracatuba 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 Aracatuba. 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.