Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Brandon, MB

For one person, living is cheaper in Brandon, MB: $1,631 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Brandon, MB
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Brandon, MB Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Brandon, MB

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,631

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Brandon, MB

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,631 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Brandon, MB $1,631

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,582 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Brandon, MB $2,582

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,532 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Brandon, MB $3,532

Nosara costs about 13% more than Brandon, MB, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Brandon, MB sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Brandon, MB by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$13.81 CA$19.69

-11.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$61.4 CA$87.5

-1.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.69 CA$15.24

-29.47%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.02 CA$4.30

42.72%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.78 CA$2.53

-3.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.60 CA$2.29

-15.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$4.12 CA$5.87

-21.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.28 CA$7.53

-15.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.39 CA$1.97

12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.88 CA$2.68

68.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.18 CA$4.53

-23.90%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.04 CA$4.33

17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.38 CA$13.37

-20.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$10.40 CA$14.82

0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$15.80 CA$22.53

-13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.13 CA$4.46

-25.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.35 CA$1.92

19.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.34 CA$4.76

41.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.14 CA$4.47

-47.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.29 CA$3.27

62.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.66 CA$3.79

34.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.55 CA$3.63

-56.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.25 CA$1.79

104.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$14.50 CA$20.66

-65.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.83 CA$16.87

69.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.35 CA$3.35

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.20 CA$3.13

60.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.29 CA$1.84

-7.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$68.8 CA$98.1

4.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.85 CA$4.06

-21.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.36 CA$1.93

13.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$23.93 CA$34.11

-62.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.92 CA$1.32

70.65%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$27.6K CA$39.3K

-21.00%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$19.2K CA$27.4K

80.28%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$162 CA$231

-42.21%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$33.71 CA$48.05

4.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$47.97 CA$68.4

7.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$42.07 CA$60.0

69.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$16.21 CA$23.10

118.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.73 CA$15.29

-26.93%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$976 CA$1,391

-49.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$18.3K CA$26.1K

-35.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$43.64 CA$62.2

22.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$41.95 CA$59.8

32.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$67.1 CA$95.6

18.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$84.9 CA$121

-7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$784 CA$1,118

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$567 CA$809

37.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,361 CA$1,941

183.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,208 CA$1,722

16.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,250 CA$3,207

209.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,229 CA$3,177

-46.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,417 CA$3,445

-63.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.45

93.71%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Brandon, MB: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Brandon, MB

$567 35.4% 27.2% $212

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Brandon, MB

$315 19.7% 9.8% $34

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Brandon, MB

$223 13.9% 6.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Brandon, MB

$243 15.2% 35.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Brandon, MB

$107 6.7% 11.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Brandon, MB

$64 4% 27.1% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Brandon, MB

$84 5.2% 3.8% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $784 in Brandon, MB. 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 176% higher in Brandon, MB, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $61.0 in Brandon, MB. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $315 in Brandon, MB – so Brandon, MB wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Brandon, MB

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

06:18 6:18 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

46,061

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Brandon, MB 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Brandon, MB

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 Brandon, MB: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,447 in Brandon, MB. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 11% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $61.0 in Brandon, MB. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Brandon, MB, where all-in costs run around $1,631, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Brandon, MB it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brandon, MB – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Brandon, MB. 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.