Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cachoeira do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cachoeira do Sul: $855 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Cachoeira do Sul
🇧🇷 Brazil
$855
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cachoeira do Sul

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 Cachoeira do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $855 in Cachoeira do Sul, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Cachoeira do Sul $855

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,338 in Cachoeira do Sul, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Cachoeira do Sul $1,338

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,822 in Cachoeira do Sul, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Cachoeira do Sul $1,822

Nosara costs about 115% more than Cachoeira do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Cachoeira do Sul is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Cachoeira do Sul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,547
$5.10 R$25.61
142.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.5K
$20.07 R$101
204.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,377
$6.98 R$35.08
7.74%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,981
$2.49 R$12.53
77.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡781
$1.38 R$6.93
26.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡588
$1.05 R$5.27
24.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,473
$2.35 R$11.79
39.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,007
$3.07 R$15.44
45.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Cachoeira do Sul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡702
$0.92 R$4.63
69.57%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,357
$0.69 R$3.47
337.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,127
$0.99 R$4.97
153.54%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,605
$1.82 R$9.15
96.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,338
$7.61 R$38.25
-2.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,724
$4.89 R$24.60
115.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,274
$7.97 R$40.07
75.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,054
$2.47 R$12.41
-4.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡721
$0.80 R$4.00
101.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,155
$0.52 R$2.64
823.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡725
$0.89 R$4.45
80.90%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,706
$1.03 R$5.17
268.93%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,659
$1.14 R$5.71
223.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$0.94 R$4.72
20.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,193
$0.34 R$1.72
682.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,324
$1.62 R$8.12
219.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,929
$5.88 R$29.56
238.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,302
$1.01 R$5.10
187.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,628
$1.68 R$8.45
116.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Cachoeira do Sul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡505
$1.20 R$6.05
-6.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$45.00 R$226
61.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡959
$1.33 R$6.70
60.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡704
$0.81 R$4.07
93.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,828
$8.14 R$40.92
4.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡683
$0.99 R$4.95
53.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$23.4K R$117.7K
-7.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$34.5K R$173.2K
0.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Cachoeira do Sul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$77.0 R$387
25.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$12.40 R$62.3
189.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.1K
$21.56 R$108
148.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Cachoeira do Sul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$26.42 R$133
170.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$28.21 R$142
23.75%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,544
$7.18 R$36.11
9.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Cachoeira do Sul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.9K
$555 R$2,791
-11.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$7,293 R$36.7K
62.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Cachoeira do Sul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$51.0 R$256
5.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.9K
$58.3 R$293
-4.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡35.0K
$104 R$525
-25.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.8K
$80.0 R$402
-0.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Cachoeira do Sul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.9K
$361 R$1,815
118.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.7K
$241 R$1,212
229.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$676 R$3,400
482.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡637.4K
$487 R$2,445
191.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$1,619 R$8,135
327.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.8K
$1,128 R$5,671
8.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Cachoeira do Sul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
11.5
-25.04%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cachoeira do Sul: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Cachoeira do Sul
$241 69.6% $553
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Cachoeira do Sul
$156 55.8% $197
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Cachoeira do Sul
$119 43.7% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Cachoeira do Sul
$111 40.3% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Cachoeira do Sul
$132 10% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Cachoeira do Sul
$41 53.3% $47
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Cachoeira do Sul
$55 36.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $361 in Cachoeira do Sul. 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $20.00 in Cachoeira do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $156 – making Cachoeira do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇧🇷 Cachoeira do Sul
🕒 Local time
02:29 2:29 AM
05:29 5:29 AM
3 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
80,070
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Cachoeira do Sul 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Cachoeira do Sul

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 Cachoeira do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cachoeira do Sul cheaper than Nosara?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 115%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,283 in Cachoeira do Sul. 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 Cachoeira do Sul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Nosara and in Cachoeira do Sul?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $855 in Cachoeira do Sul. That's a gap of about 115%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 61% less in Cachoeira do Sul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Cachoeira do Sul?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cachoeira do Sul, where all-in costs run around $855, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cachoeira do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Nosara or Cachoeira do Sul more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cachoeira do Sul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Cachoeira do Sul?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cachoeira do Sul. 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.

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