Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Brossard

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,537 in Brossard, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Brossard
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,537
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Brossard

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,537 in Brossard, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Brossard $2,537

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,405 in Brossard, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Brossard $3,405

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,272 in Brossard, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Brossard $4,272

Nosara is about 28% cheaper than Brossard, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Brossard sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Brossard by 87%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Brossard
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$18.98 CA$26.83
-34.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$72.2 CA$102
-15.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$10.82 CA$15.30
-28.28%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$3.96 CA$5.60
12.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$1.99 CA$2.81
-10.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$1.55 CA$2.20
-16.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
$5.78 CA$8.17
-43.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
$5.81 CA$8.21
-23.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Brossard
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$2.32 CA$3.28
-33.19%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$2.89 CA$4.09
6.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$3.53 CA$4.99
-28.33%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$3.46 CA$4.89
-0.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$8.87 CA$12.53
-17.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$11.38 CA$16.09
-10.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$11.86 CA$16.77
18.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$3.27 CA$4.63
-29.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$1.47 CA$2.07
11.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$3.40 CA$4.80
40.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$3.04 CA$4.30
-46.05%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$1.85 CA$2.62
108.11%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$1.77 CA$2.50
111.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$2.47 CA$3.50
-55.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$1.51 CA$2.13
71.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$14.40 CA$20.36
-64.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
$10.48 CA$14.82
90.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,255
$2.31 CA$3.26
21.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,580
$2.86 CA$4.05
23.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Brossard
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$2.51 CA$3.54
-51.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
$186 CA$262
-60.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$2.87 CA$4.05
-24.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$1.43 CA$2.03
9.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$32.39 CA$45.79
-73.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$1.28 CA$1.81
21.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$28.4K CA$40.1K
21.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$20.9K CA$29.6K
85.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Brossard
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$102 CA$144
-7.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$34.97 CA$49.44
3.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$45.51 CA$64.3
16.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Brossard
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$20.50 CA$28.99
259.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$11.16 CA$15.77
-29.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Brossard
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$678 CA$959
-27.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$9,132 CA$12.9K
30.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Brossard
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$58.4 CA$82.6
-6.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$37.78 CA$53.4
47.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$91.4 CA$129
-12.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$108 CA$153
-28.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Brossard
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$971 CA$1,373
-17.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$1,358 CA$1,920
-41.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$1,689 CA$2,388
137.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$1,564 CA$2,210
-9.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$2,518 CA$3,559
180.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$2,152 CA$3,043
-42.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Brossard
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
$2,648 CA$3,743
-66.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
4.48
92.41%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Brossard: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Brossard
$1.4K 72% $569
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Brossard
$328 6.1% $21
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Brossard
$287 34.7% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Brossard
$183 0.8% $1.5
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Brossard
$133 10.1% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Brossard
$43 52.2% $47
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Brossard
$206 132% $117

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $971 in Brossard. 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 199% higher in Brossard, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $72.0 in Brossard. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $328 in Brossard – so Brossard wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇨🇦 Brossard
🕒 Local time
22:11 10:11 PM
00:11 12:11 AM
2 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
91,525
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Brossard 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Brossard

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 Brossard: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Brossard compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $2,537 in Brossard – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Brossard?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,806 in Brossard. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Brossard?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Brossard?
Public transport costs about 151% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Brossard?
Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $678 in Brossard. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Brossard at $2,537. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brossard it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Brossard?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,835 in Nosara to $2,537 in Brossard. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Brossard safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Brossard?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brossard makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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