Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Araraquara

For one person, living is cheaper in Araraquara: $669 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Araraquara
Learn more

Araraquara Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Araraquara

🇧🇷 Brazil

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Araraquara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $669 in Araraquara.

Nosara $1,839
Araraquara $669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,111 in Araraquara.

Nosara $2,828
Araraquara $1,111

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,553 in Araraquara.

Nosara $3,818
Araraquara $1,553

Living in Nosara is roughly 175% more expensive than in Araraquara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Araraquara is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$5.96 R$29.93

107.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$24.37 R$122

151.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$7.00 R$35.14

7.43%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$2.20 R$11.03

100.45%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.66 R$8.35

4.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.83 R$4.16

57.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$2.02 R$10.12

62.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$4.10 R$20.58

9.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$0.93 R$4.64

67.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$1.27 R$6.39

137.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.20 R$6.03

109.17%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$2.41 R$12.09

48.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$6.83 R$34.28

8.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$3.40 R$17.05

209.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$6.40 R$32.09

118.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$1.43 R$7.17

64.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$0.91 R$4.55

76.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$0.94 R$4.73

410.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.27 R$6.38

26.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$0.85 R$4.26

347.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$0.82 R$4.10

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.66 R$3.30

71.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.75 R$3.76

254.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$2.01 R$10.10

157.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$5.08 R$25.49

291.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$0.98 R$4.93

195.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$1.56 R$7.82

132.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.07 R$5.35

4.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$25.73 R$129

182.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$1.27 R$6.38

68.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$0.98 R$4.92

60.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$9.56 R$47.98

-10.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.14 R$5.71

33.33%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.9K R$115.1K

-5.77%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.7K R$119.0K

45.49%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$44.50 R$223

116.38%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.10 R$50.7

255.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$18.05 R$90.6

196.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$26.46 R$133

170.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$19.82 R$99.5

76.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$4.13 R$20.71

91.04%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$295 R$1,481

67.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,766 R$39.0K

52.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$47.67 R$239

13.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$44.24 R$222

25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$96.9 R$486

-19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$55.2 R$277

44.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$223 R$1,121

252.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$143 R$716

456.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$492 R$2,470

700.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$352 R$1,767

303.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,382 R$6,935

400.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$463 R$2,321

86.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.12

-22.48%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Araraquara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Araraquara

$143 21.3% 82% $652

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Araraquara

$150 22.4% 57.5% $202

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Araraquara

$123 18.4% 41.8% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Araraquara

$73 10.9% 60.9% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Araraquara

$110 16.4% 8.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Araraquara

$35 5.2% 60.3% $53

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Araraquara

$36 5.4% 58.5% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $223 in Araraquara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 87% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $24.00 in Araraquara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $150 per month, with Araraquara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Araraquara

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

242,228

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Araraquara 5,400 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Araraquara

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 Araraquara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Araraquara differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $669 including rent). Araraquara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $223 in Araraquara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Araraquara – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $669 in Araraquara versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Araraquara but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Araraquara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Araraquara 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 Araraquara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.