Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Belem

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $937 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Belem
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Belem Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Belem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $937 in Belem.

Nosara $1,837
Belem $937

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,424 in Belem.

Nosara $2,775
Belem $1,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,911 in Belem.

Nosara $3,712
Belem $1,911

Living in Nosara is roughly 96% more expensive than in Belem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Belem is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$4.94 R$24.66

147.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$20.41 R$102

194.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.80 R$33.96

10.88%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.90 R$9.48

126.84%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.06 R$5.28

62.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.51 R$2.56

164.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.59 R$7.91

103.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.36 R$11.80

89.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.40 R$7.01

12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.48 R$12.40

27.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.32 R$6.59

83.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.14 R$10.71

66.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.20 R$45.91

-19.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.53 R$22.64

130.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.55 R$37.70

80.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.30 R$11.49

0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.43 R$7.15

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.49 R$7.42

218.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.75 R$8.73

-5.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.09 R$5.45

241.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.63 R$3.14

466.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.29 R$6.45

-14.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.43 R$7.13

78.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.65 R$13.21

86.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$9.94 R$49.60

101.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.45 R$7.25

92.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$5.07 R$25.31

-30.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.97 R$4.82

22.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$34.73 R$173

107.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.17 R$5.86

91.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.17 R$5.83

32.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$8.36 R$41.71

5.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.32 R$6.57

18.94%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$23.9K R$119.3K

-8.76%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$32.5K R$162.3K

6.51%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$98.6 R$492

-5.18%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$11.52 R$57.5

204.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$31.16 R$156

65.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$21.62 R$108

230.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$39.31 R$196

-9.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.82 R$39.04

0.26%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$111 R$556

339.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$3,464 R$17.3K

242.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$32.02 R$160

67.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$45.64 R$228

22.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$83.2 R$415

-4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$66.9 R$334

17.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$529 R$2,642

48.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$290 R$1,450

168.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$889 R$4,436

334.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$538 R$2,684

161.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,003 R$9,997

248.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,403 R$7,005

-14.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$422 R$2,105

107.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.48

-24.91%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Belem: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Belem

$290 30.8% 62.8% $489

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Belem

$225 23.8% 35.7% $125

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Belem

$102 10.8% 51.5% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Belem

$141 15% 21.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Belem

$103 10.9% 14.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Belem

$37 4% 57.2% $50

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Belem

$46 4.8% 47.5% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $529 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 108% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $20.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $225 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Belem

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

02:23 2:23 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,303,403

💱 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 = 506 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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Belem 4,310 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Belem

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 Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 108% 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: $786 in Nosara versus $529 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 108% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $111 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $937 in Belem versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belem 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 Belem 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 Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.