Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Brainerd, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,445 in Brainerd, MN, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brainerd, MN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Brainerd, MN
Learn more

Brainerd, MN Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Brainerd, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Brainerd, MN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,445 in Brainerd, MN.

Nosara $1,839
Brainerd, MN $2,445

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,439 in Brainerd, MN.

Nosara $2,828
Brainerd, MN $3,439

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,433 in Brainerd, MN.

Nosara $3,818
Brainerd, MN $4,433

Living in Nosara costs roughly 25% less than in Brainerd, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Brainerd, MN 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$14.72 $14.72

-16.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.45 $37.45

63.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.12 $10.12

-25.69%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.93 $1.93

128.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.10 $2.10

-17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.99 $1.99

-34.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.95 $5.95

-44.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.02 $6.02

-25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.97 $0.97

60.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.19 $3.19

-5.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.40 $3.40

-26.18%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.54 $2.54

40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.74 $9.74

-23.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.71 $9.71

8.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.01 $13.01

7.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.92 $4.92

-52.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.15 $1.15

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$6.23 $6.23

-22.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.95 $4.95

-67.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.82 $3.82

-0.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.56 $3.56

3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.00 $2.00

-43.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.73 $1.73

53.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$12.06 $12.06

-57.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.26 $13.26

49.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.71 $1.71

69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.54 $3.54

2.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.98 $1.98

-43.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$40.39 $40.39

79.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.55 $2.55

-16.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.58 $1.58

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$30.90 $30.90

-72.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.87 $0.87

74.71%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.7K $35.7K

-39.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.3K $25.3K

36.23%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$226 $226

-57.38%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$44.47 $44.47

-19.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$60.3 $60.3

-11.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$42.14 $42.14

69.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.80 $8.80

-10.34%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,186 $1,186

-58.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$27.9K $27.9K

-57.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$40.57 $40.57

32.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.14 $40.14

38.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.5 $60.5

28.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$64.4 $64.4

23.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,612 $1,612

-51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,321 $1,321

-39.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,516 $2,516

56.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,157 $2,157

-34.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,373 $2,373

191.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,390 $2,390

-48.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.31

36.61%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brainerd, MN: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Brainerd, MN

$1.3K 54.1% 66.3% $527

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Brainerd, MN

$353 14.4% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Brainerd, MN

$229 9.4% 8.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Brainerd, MN

$331 13.5% 78% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Brainerd, MN

$93 3.8% 22.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Brainerd, MN

$60 2.4% 31.6% $28

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Brainerd, MN

$59 2.4% 32.5% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,612 in Brainerd, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $37.00 in Brainerd, MN. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $353, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Brainerd, MN

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

13,722

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Brainerd, MN 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Brainerd, MN

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 Brainerd, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Brainerd, MN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $3,668 in Brainerd, MN 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: $788 in Nosara versus $1,612 in Brainerd, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $37.00 in Brainerd, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,445 in Brainerd, MN – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,445 in Brainerd, MN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Brainerd, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Brainerd, MN 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Brainerd, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.