Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Boa Vista

For one person, living is cheaper in Boa Vista: $796 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Boa Vista
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Boa Vista Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Boa Vista

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $796 in Boa Vista, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Boa Vista $796

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,021 in Boa Vista, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Boa Vista $1,021

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,245 in Boa Vista, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Boa Vista $1,245

Nosara costs about 131% more than Boa Vista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Boa Vista is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.03 R$20.41

206.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$24.26 R$123

152.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.85 R$34.70

9.78%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.04 R$10.36

116.18%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.12 R$5.66

55.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.62 R$3.13

111.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.03 R$10.29

61.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.07 R$15.54

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.55 R$12.91

-38.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.36 R$6.90

122.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.08 R$5.48

132.41%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.07 R$15.56

16.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.99 R$50.6

-25.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.66 R$33.78

57.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.54 R$63.6

11.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.77 R$14.05

-15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.27 R$6.46

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.73 R$8.79

177.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.65 R$13.41

-39.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.01 R$5.12

276.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.99 R$5.00

272.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.78 R$3.96

44.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.68 R$3.47

291.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.79 R$14.15

85.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$17.82 R$90.3

11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.09 R$10.61

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.38 R$6.99

163.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.97 R$4.93

15.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.32 R$6.70

15.15%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.5K R$139.6K

25.39%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.48 R$119

52.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$32.22 R$163

66.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$33.26 R$169

115.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.14 R$31.10

28.50%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$191 R$966

159.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$24.64 R$125

118.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$18.36 R$93.1

201.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$72.0 R$365

8.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$34.61 R$175

130.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$356 R$1,807

121.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$260 R$1,317

205.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$813 R$4,120

750.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$790 R$4,007

54.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$646 R$3,272

33.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Boa Vista: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Boa Vista

$260 32.6% 67.3% $535

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Boa Vista

$263 33.1% 25.2% $89

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Boa Vista

$100 12.6% 52.6% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Boa Vista

$56 * 7% 70% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Boa Vista

$67 8.5% 43.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Boa Vista

$46 5.7% 47.9% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Boa Vista

$3.9 * 0.5% 95.5% $83

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $356 in Boa Vista. 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 34% 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 $24.00 in Boa Vista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $263 – making Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Boa Vista

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

09:59 9:59 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

413,486

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Boa Vista 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Boa Vista

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 Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 131% more than Boa Vista, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,194 in Boa Vista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $796 in Boa Vista. That's a gap of about 131%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $191 in Boa Vista. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Boa Vista, where all-in costs run around $796, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Boa Vista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Boa Vista costs $796 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Boa Vista. 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.