Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Brookings, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,846 a month against $2,632 in Brookings, OR, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara, Costa Rica
Brookings, OR, United States
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Brookings, OR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,632
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Brookings, OR

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $2,632 in Brookings, OR, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,846
  • Brookings, OR $2,632

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $3,869 in Brookings, OR, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,833
  • Brookings, OR $3,869

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $5,107 in Brookings, OR, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,820
  • Brookings, OR $5,107

Nosara is about 30% cheaper than Brookings, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Brookings, OR sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Brookings, OR by 93%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Brookings, OR
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.36 ₡5,575
$20.05 $20.05
-38.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.8 ₡27.4K
$74.7 $74.7
-18.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 ₡3,557
$9.62 $9.62
-18.09%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₡1,986
$6.35 $6.35
-30.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡776
$3.33 $3.33
-48.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₡603
$2.05 $2.05
-34.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.34 ₡1,505
$6.04 $6.04
-44.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 ₡2,048
$6.80 $6.80
-33.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Brookings, OR
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ₡739
$1.05 $1.05
56.19%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 ₡1,426
$4.35 $4.35
-27.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 ₡1,080
$4.42 $4.42
-45.93%
Eggs
$3.47 ₡1,564
$6.08 $6.08
-42.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.13 ₡3,217
$12.79 $12.79
-44.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.32 ₡4,655
$11.83 $11.83
-12.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,302
$16.16 $16.16
-13.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,031
$5.23 $5.23
-56.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ₡731
$1.63 $1.63
-0.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.81 ₡2,169
$4.38 $4.38
9.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 ₡758
$4.74 $4.74
-64.56%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ₡1,765
$2.76 $2.76
41.67%
Onion (1kg)
$3.63 ₡1,640
$2.66 $2.66
36.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡509
$2.50 $2.50
-54.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 ₡1,188
$2.24 $2.24
17.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.02 ₡2,267
$10.29 $10.29
-51.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.71 ₡8,893
$15.04 $15.04
31.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 ₡1,314
$1.99 $1.99
46.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 ₡1,597
$3.14 $3.14
12.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Brookings, OR
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 ₡545
$2.29 $2.29
-47.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 ₡33.3K
$57.9 $57.9
27.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.15 ₡969
$3.40 $3.40
-36.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡738
$1.51 $1.51
7.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.77 ₡3,958
$27.65 $27.65
-68.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡700
$1.22 $1.22
27.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K ₡15.3M
$24.7K $24.7K
37.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K ₡17.4M
$29.3K $29.3K
31.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Brookings, OR
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.2 ₡43.0K
$224 $224
-57.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.29 ₡16.4K
$58.5 $58.5
-37.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 ₡23.5K
$70.2 $70.2
-25.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Brookings, OR
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.6 ₡30.5K
$35.77 $35.77
88.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.54 ₡3,404
$13.82 $13.82
-45.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Brookings, OR
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$496 ₡224.0K
$1,382 $1,382
-64.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K ₡5.3M
$24.9K $24.9K
-52.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Brookings, OR
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.1 ₡24.9K
$53.3 $53.3
3.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 ₡25.3K
$44.72 $44.72
25.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.8 ₡35.1K
$88.8 $88.8
-12.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.1 ₡35.7K
$113 $113
-30.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Brookings, OR
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$817 ₡368.9K
$1,540 $1,540
-46.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$806 ₡363.6K
$1,255 $1,255
-35.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,988 ₡1.8M
$2,508 $2,508
59.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₡644.9K
$2,110 $2,110
-32.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,068 ₡3.2M
$3,303 $3,303
113.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,197 ₡540.1K
$3,240 $3,240
-63.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Brookings, OR
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$888 ₡400.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.57
31.20%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Brookings, OR: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$806
Brookings, OR
$1.3K 55.8% $450
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$351
Brookings, OR
$416 18.4% $65
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Brookings, OR
$331 55.1% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Brookings, OR
$353 92.3% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Brookings, OR
$135 12% $14
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Brookings, OR
$78 12.3% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$83
Brookings, OR
$63 23.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $1,540 in Brookings, OR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $75 in Brookings, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $416 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇺🇸 Brookings, OR
🕒 Local time
19:19 7:19 PM
18:19 6:19 PM
1 h behind Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
18,802
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Brookings, OR 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Brookings, OR

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 Brookings, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Brookings, OR?
Yes – Brookings, OR is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $3,947 in Brookings, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,540 in Brookings, OR.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 22% less in Brookings, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $1,382 in Brookings, OR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Nosara or Brookings, OR?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,846 in Nosara and $2,632 in Brookings, OR, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Nosara or Brookings, OR more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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