Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Avaré

For one person, living is cheaper in Avaré: $845 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Avaré
🇧🇷 Brazil
$845
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Avaré

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $845 in Avaré.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Avaré $845

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,408 in Avaré.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Avaré $1,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,971 in Avaré.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Avaré $1,971

Living in Nosara is roughly 117% more expensive than in Avaré, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Avaré is 38% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Avaré
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$4.06 R$20.57
203.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$49.85 R$253
23.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$5.15 R$26.08
50.68%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$1.96 R$9.96
126.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$0.58 R$2.96
208.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$0.42 R$2.12
207.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
$1.36 R$6.89
138.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
$1.94 R$9.85
128.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Avaré
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$1.23 R$6.25
26.02%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$1.90 R$9.65
62.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$1.45 R$7.35
74.48%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$2.23 R$11.29
54.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$7.74 R$39.22
-5.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$3.33 R$16.90
207.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$7.07 R$35.83
99.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$2.82 R$14.32
-18.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$1.85 R$9.35
-11.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$1.56 R$7.90
207.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$1.99 R$10.07
-17.59%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$1.24 R$6.26
210.48%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$1.27 R$6.41
195.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$1.27 R$6.43
-14.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$0.58 R$2.92
346.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$2.98 R$15.13
71.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
$10.20 R$51.7
95.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,255
$0.89 R$4.51
214.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,580
$2.49 R$12.60
41.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Avaré
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$1.00 R$5.07
22.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
$44.96 R$228
64.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$1.84 R$9.32
17.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$1.03 R$5.22
51.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$10.16 R$51.5
-14.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$1.09 R$5.51
42.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$23.8K R$120.8K
45.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$26.3K R$133.5K
47.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Avaré
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$50.5 R$256
87.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$9.89 R$50.2
265.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$19.82 R$100
167.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Avaré
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$25.84 R$131
185.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
$27.79 R$141
28.21%
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$5.16 R$26.16
53.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Avaré
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$574 R$2,908
-14.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$16.8K R$85.1K
-29.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Avaré
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$65.9 R$334
-16.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$62.7 R$318
-10.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$101 R$512
-20.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$93.1 R$472
-16.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Avaré
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$353 R$1,788
127.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$244 R$1,239
223.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$662 R$3,354
505.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$474 R$2,403
197.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$1,692 R$8,577
317.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$1,205 R$6,109
2.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Avaré
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
-
-
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 20, 2026

Last update for Avaré: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Avaré
$244 69.1% $545
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Avaré
$197 43.8% $153
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Avaré
$86 59.5% $127
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Avaré
$80 56.4% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Avaré
$145 20% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Avaré
$36 59.6% $53
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Avaré
$56 37% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $353 in Avaré. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $50.0 in Avaré for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $197 per month, with Avaré cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇧🇷 Avaré
🕒 Local time
21:35 9:35 PM
00:35 12:35 AM
3 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
92,805
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Avaré 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Avaré

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 Avaré: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Nosara and in Avaré?
Nosara and Avaré differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $845 including rent). Avaré is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Avaré?
You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $1,267 in Avaré to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Nosara and in Avaré?
Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $353 in Avaré. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Avaré?
A monthly transit pass in Avaré runs roughly 64% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Avaré?
Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $574 in Avaré. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $845 in Avaré versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Avaré but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Avaré the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Avaré?
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.
Is Nosara or Avaré safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Avaré are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Nosara or Avaré?
Expats usually find Avaré gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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