Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Brest

For one person, living is cheaper in Brest: $1,381 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Brest
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Brest Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Brest

🇫🇷 France

$1,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Brest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,381 in Brest.

Nosara $1,839
Brest $1,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,157 in Brest.

Nosara $2,828
Brest $2,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,933 in Brest.

Nosara $3,818
Brest $2,933

Living in Nosara is roughly 33% more expensive than in Brest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Brest 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$15.39 €13.69

-19.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$45.10 €40.11

35.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.33 €10.07

-33.63%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.97 €2.64

48.48%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.02 €2.69

-42.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.04 €1.82

-35.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.48 €5.76

-49.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.41 €4.81

-17.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.11 €0.99

40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.52 €1.35

98.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.57 €2.29

-2.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.50 €3.11

2.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$18.71 €16.64

-60.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.12 €9.00

3.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.34 €12.75

-2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.94 €2.61

-20.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.90 €1.69

-15.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.62 €2.33

83.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.89 €2.57

-44.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.70 €1.51

123.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.02 €1.80

82.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.39 €1.24

-18.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.34 €0.30

682.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$13.40 €11.92

-61.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.89 €6.13

188.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.62 €2.33

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.81 €2.50

29.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.88 €1.67

-40.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$39.58 €35.21

83.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$8.32 €7.40

-74.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.95 €2.63

-46.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$30.97 €27.54

-72.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.02 €1.79

-24.75%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.8K €32.7K

-41.25%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.3K €30.6K

0.50%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$141 €126

-31.85%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$27.20 €24.20

31.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.11 €27.67

72.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.05 €31.18

104.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.12 €13.45

130.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.74 €12.22

-42.58%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$223 €198

121.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.4K €10.1K

4.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$69.1 €61.4

-21.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.43 €27.07

82.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.7 €68.2

1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$69.5 €61.8

14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$512 €456

53.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$380 €338

109.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$882 €784

346.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$733 €652

93.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,804 €2,494

146.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,503 €2,226

-51.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,642 €2,350

-67.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.82

125.65%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brest: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Brest

$380 27.5% 52.2% $415

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Brest

$303 21.9% 14.1% $50

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Brest

$256 18.5% 20.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Brest

$200 14.5% 7.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Brest

$111 8% 7.9% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Brest

$63 4.5% 28.4% $25

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Brest

$70 5.1% 19.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $512 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 206% 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 $45.00 in Brest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $303 per month, with Brest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇫🇷 Brest

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

21:25 9:25 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

139,619

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Brest 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Brest

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 Brest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 206% lower in Brest. 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 $512 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brest – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. 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 $1,381 in Brest – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,381 in Brest versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brest but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Brest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,381 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brest hard to pass up.

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