Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Brackenfell

For one person, living is cheaper in Brackenfell: $1,028 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Brackenfell
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Brackenfell Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Brackenfell

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,028

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Brackenfell

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,028 in Brackenfell.

Nosara $1,839
Brackenfell $1,028

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,614 in Brackenfell.

Nosara $2,828
Brackenfell $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,201 in Brackenfell.

Nosara $3,818
Brackenfell $2,201

Living in Nosara is roughly 79% more expensive than in Brackenfell, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Brackenfell is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.25 R 152

33.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.89 R 394

156.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.12 R 101

22.88%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.42 R 39.82

82.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.08 R 17.79

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.91 R 15.06

43.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.37 R 38.98

38.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.55 R 42.00

75.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.05 R 17.35

48.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.10 R 18.11

174.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.10 R 34.61

19.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.89 R 31.17

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.94 R 131

-6.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.65 R 43.71

296.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.79 R 112

105.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.46 R 24.10

60.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.89 R 31.09

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.73 R 28.54

177.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.62 R 26.69

-0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.33 R 21.86

185.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.06 R 17.49

248.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.87 R 14.28

29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.08 R 17.71

146.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.54 R 58.4

46.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.12 R 67.9

382.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.32 R 21.77

119.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.92 R 31.68

89.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.48 R 24.45

-24.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.62 R 10.28

245.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.88 R 14.44

78.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.86 R 80.0

75.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.28 R 21.13

18.75%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$17.7K R 291.5K

22.13%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.2K R 316.7K

79.55%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$116 R 1,909

-16.91%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$28.58 R 471

25.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$39.30 R 648

36.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$24.00 R 395

198.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$10.63 R 175

228.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.98 R 148

-12.14%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$150 R 2,463

230.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,714 R 110.6K

76.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$41.71 R 687

29.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$22.30 R 367

148.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$64.9 R 1,070

20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$49.85 R 821

59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$655 R 10.8K

20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$395 R 6,501

101.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,306 R 21.5K

201.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$885 R 14.6K

60.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$873 R 14.4K

691.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$647 R 10.7K

89.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,813 R 29.9K

-52.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.97

-21.42%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brackenfell: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Brackenfell

$395 38.4% 50.3% $400

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Brackenfell

$170 16.5% 51.8% $182

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Brackenfell

$146 14.2% 30.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Brackenfell

$184 17.9% 1.1% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Brackenfell

$80 7.8% 33% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Brackenfell

$42 4.1% 52% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Brackenfell

$11 * 1.1% 87.4% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $655 in Brackenfell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brackenfell pays 110% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $24.00 in Brackenfell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $170 per month, with Brackenfell cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇿🇦 Brackenfell

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

17:12 5:12 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

80,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Brackenfell 11,940 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Brackenfell

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 Brackenfell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brackenfell wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brackenfell the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 110% lower in Brackenfell. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $655 in Brackenfell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $150 in Brackenfell. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brackenfell – 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 $1,028 in Brackenfell versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brackenfell but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Brackenfell the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brackenfell delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brackenfell hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Brackenfell 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 Brackenfell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.