Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Brea, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,716 in Brea, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 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
180

Cost of Living Index in Brea, CA
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Brea, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Brea, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Brea, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,716 in Brea, CA.

Nosara $1,835
Brea, CA $3,716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $5,124 in Brea, CA.

Nosara $2,825
Brea, CA $5,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $6,532 in Brea, CA.

Nosara $3,814
Brea, CA $6,532

Living in Nosara costs roughly 51% less than in Brea, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Brea, CA 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$25.18 $25.18

-50.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$78.5 $78.5

-21.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$12.18 $12.18

-36.29%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.59 $5.59

-20.57%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.69 $2.69

-33.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.98 $1.98

-34.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$7.34 $7.34

-55.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$9.46 $9.46

-53.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.18 $1.18

31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$5.29 $5.29

-41.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.41 $4.41

-42.63%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.86 $4.86

-29.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$15.38 $15.38

-52.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$8.87 $8.87

15.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$13.91 $13.91

1.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.66 $4.66

-50.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.80 $1.80

-8.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.30 $4.30

11.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.77 $5.77

-71.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.61 $3.61

6.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.07 $3.07

22.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.14 $2.14

-49.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.18 $2.18

18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$11.95 $11.95

-57.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$15.14 $15.14

31.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.77 $1.77

58.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.21 $3.21

9.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$4.58 $4.58

-52.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.81 $1.81

-13.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$36.28 $36.28

-76.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.57 $1.57

-1.27%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.8K $27.8K

24.35%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.0K $26.0K

48.92%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$218 $218

-56.47%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$70.8 $70.8

-48.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$69.1 $69.1

-23.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$30.08 $30.08

145.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$20.02 $20.02

77.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$19.98 $19.98

-60.41%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,162 $1,162

-57.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$42.8K $42.8K

-72.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$62.2 $62.2

-11.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$41.12 $41.12

35.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$80.9 $80.9

-0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$104 $104

-25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$2,241 $2,241

-64.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$2,354 $2,354

-66.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$3,133 $3,133

27.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$3,521 $3,521

-59.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$5,884 $5,884

20.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$6,172 $6,172

-79.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$9,939 $9,939

-91.08%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Brea, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Brea, CA

$2.4K 63.4% 198% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Brea, CA

$411 11.1% 17.7% $62

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Brea, CA

$379 10.2% 78.4% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Brea, CA

$358 9.6% 94.4% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Brea, CA

$130 3.5% 7.3% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Brea, CA

$70 1.9% 21.9% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Brea, CA

$14 * 0.4% 84.7% $75

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 $801 in Nosara and $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 1021% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $79.0 in Brea, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $411 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Brea, CA

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

38,585

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Brea, CA 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Brea, CA

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 Brea, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Brea, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1021% lower in Brea, CA. 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: $801 in Nosara versus $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $1,162 in Brea, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $79.0 in Brea, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,716 in Brea, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Brea, CA. 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 $1,835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Brea, CA 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 102% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.