Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Barreiras

For one person, living is cheaper in Barreiras: $825 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Barreiras
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Barreiras Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Barreiras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Barreiras

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $825 in Barreiras.

Nosara $1,837
Barreiras $825

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,329 in Barreiras.

Nosara $2,775
Barreiras $1,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,833 in Barreiras.

Nosara $3,712
Barreiras $1,833

Living in Nosara is roughly 123% more expensive than in Barreiras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Barreiras is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.88 R$29.37

107.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$30.82 R$154

95.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.98 R$34.82

8.02%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.97 R$9.81

118.78%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.23 R$6.15

39.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.72 R$3.61

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.00 R$10.00

62.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.83 R$14.14

58.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.04 R$5.19

50.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.59 R$7.92

99.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.19 R$5.94

103.36%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.14 R$10.70

66.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.29 R$46.39

-20.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.04 R$20.15

157.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$8.25 R$41.20

65.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.11 R$10.53

9.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.24 R$6.18

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.12 R$5.58

323.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.56 R$7.76

6.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.16 R$5.78

220.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.07 R$5.35

233.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.75 R$3.74

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.81 R$4.03

214.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.37 R$11.83

108.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$7.72 R$38.53

159.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.19 R$5.93

134.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.04 R$10.16

73.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.99 R$4.96

20.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$41.63 R$208

73.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.23 R$6.13

82.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.82 R$4.09

89.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$7.53 R$37.57

17.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.21 R$6.02

29.75%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$23.0K R$114.7K

-5.14%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$31.7K R$158.4K

9.16%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$70.9 R$354

31.86%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$11.78 R$58.8

198.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$20.45 R$102

151.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$24.95 R$125

186.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$26.04 R$130

36.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.88 R$34.34

13.95%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$287 R$1,434

70.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,899 R$34.4K

72.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$53.0 R$265

1.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$47.56 R$237

17.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$89.1 R$445

-11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$69.3 R$346

13.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$334 R$1,668

135.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$227 R$1,132

243.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$640 R$3,196

502.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$464 R$2,319

202.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,570 R$7,836

344.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,136 R$5,672

5.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

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 5, 2026

Last update for Barreiras: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Barreiras

$227 27.1% 70.9% $553

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Barreiras

$186 22.3% 46.7% $163

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Barreiras

$115 13.7% 45% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Barreiras

$103 12.3% 42.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Barreiras

$117 13.9% 3.1% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Barreiras

$39 4.6% 55.5% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Barreiras

$51 6.1% 41.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $334 in Barreiras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $31.00 in Barreiras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $186 per month, with Barreiras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Barreiras

🕒 Local time

04:23 4:23 AM

07:23 7:23 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

159,734

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Barreiras 5,120 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Barreiras

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 Barreiras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barreiras is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 123% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $1,238 in Barreiras 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $334 in Barreiras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $287 in Barreiras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $825 in Barreiras versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barreiras but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barreiras is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Barreiras 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 Barreiras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.