Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cabo Frio

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $678 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
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Cabo Frio Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cabo Frio

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $678 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Cabo Frio $678

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,113 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Cabo Frio $1,113

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,548 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Cabo Frio $1,548

Nosara costs about 171% more than Cabo Frio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Cabo Frio is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.87 R$29.77

110.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$29.90 R$152

104.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.86 R$34.79

9.62%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.74 R$8.81

153.45%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.38 R$6.98

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.51 R$2.60

156.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.22 R$6.19

168.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.95 R$9.87

129.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.77 R$3.90

102.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.50 R$7.61

101.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.76 R$3.87

230.26%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.62 R$8.20

120.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.21 R$41.59

-9.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.41 R$17.30

208.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.61 R$48.74

45.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.92 R$9.71

22.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.19 R$6.05

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.96 R$4.89

400.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.22 R$6.19

31.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.67 R$3.38

467.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.85 R$4.32

334.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.57 R$2.87

98.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.58 R$2.95

358.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.63 R$8.24

217.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.03 R$30.58

229.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.99 R$5.00

192.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.37 R$6.95

164.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.37 R$6.97

-18.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$82.1 R$416

-11.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.28 R$6.51

67.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.80 R$4.07

96.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.23 R$41.74

3.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.23 R$6.22

23.58%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.1K R$106.7K

2.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.0K R$157.2K

11.34%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$58.6 R$297

64.21%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.84 R$39.76

357.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$13.82 R$70.0

287.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$21.66 R$110

230.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.92 R$24.95

60.37%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$148 R$748

234.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,691 R$13.6K

340.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$46.04 R$233

17.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.39 R$205

37.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$55.0 R$279

41.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$48.67 R$247

63.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$444 R$2,251

77.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$119 R$604

566.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$677 R$3,429

482.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$280 R$1,420

406.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$278 R$1,411

210.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.67

-19.21%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cabo Frio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cabo Frio

$119 17.6% 85% $675

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cabo Frio

$162 23.9% 54% $190

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cabo Frio

$106 15.6% 50% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cabo Frio

$80 11.9% 56.8% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cabo Frio

$86 12.6% 28.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cabo Frio

$32 4.7% 63.9% $56

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cabo Frio

$93 13.7% 6.7% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $444 in Cabo Frio. 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 210% higher in Nosara, 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 $30.00 in Cabo Frio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $162 – making Cabo Frio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

222,161

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cabo Frio 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 171%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,016 in Cabo Frio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $678 in Cabo Frio. That's a gap of about 171%.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Cabo Frio. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Frio, where all-in costs run around $678, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cabo Frio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – 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 Cabo Frio. 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.