Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Caraguatatuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Caraguatatuba: $843 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Caraguatatuba
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Caraguatatuba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Caraguatatuba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $843 in Caraguatatuba.

Nosara $1,839
Caraguatatuba $843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,363 in Caraguatatuba.

Nosara $2,828
Caraguatatuba $1,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,883 in Caraguatatuba.

Nosara $3,818
Caraguatatuba $1,883

Living in Nosara is roughly 118% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Caraguatatuba is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.70 R$39.04

60.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$29.38 R$149

108.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.23 R$46.80

-18.53%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.37 R$11.99

86.08%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.23 R$6.25

41.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.88 R$4.48

48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.36 R$11.96

38.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.27 R$16.60

36.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.00 R$5.09

56.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.61 R$8.17

87.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.40 R$7.10

79.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.96 R$9.96

82.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.89 R$29.84

26.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.32 R$16.82

216.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.98 R$40.47

75.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.15 R$10.89

9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.67 R$8.46

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.46 R$7.39

228.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.42 R$7.19

13.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.27 R$6.45

199.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.82 R$4.13

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.71 R$3.60

59.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.79 R$3.99

236.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.16 R$10.96

139.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.00 R$35.46

184.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.50 R$7.58

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.59 R$13.11

40.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.98 R$4.96

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$23.55 R$119

208.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.16 R$5.89

84.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.73 R$3.70

115.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$3.52 R$17.85

142.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.30 R$6.59

16.92%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$15.7K R$79.3K

38.07%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.5K R$149.6K

16.97%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$66.3 R$336

45.21%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$13.05 R$66.2

175.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$22.44 R$114

138.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$21.64 R$110

230.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$16.29 R$82.6

114.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.17 R$41.40

-3.43%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$223 R$1,130

121.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,271 R$21.7K

177.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$57.8 R$293

-6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$56.6 R$287

-2.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$78.3 R$397

-0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$59.2 R$300

34.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$416 R$2,110

89.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$237 R$1,201

235.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$879 R$4,453

348.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$522 R$2,648

171.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,681 R$8,523

311.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,217 R$6,170

0.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$336 R$1,704

156.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.15

5.77%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Caraguatatuba

$237 28.1% 70.2% $557

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Caraguatatuba

$176 20.9% 50.1% $176

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Caraguatatuba

$145 17.2% 31.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Caraguatatuba

$102 12.1% 45.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Caraguatatuba

$113 13.5% 5.6% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Caraguatatuba

$38 4.5% 56.5% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Caraguatatuba

$32 3.8% 63% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $416 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 157% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $29.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $176 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Caraguatatuba

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

04:18 4:18 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

134,873

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Caraguatatuba 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Caraguatatuba

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 Caraguatatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 157% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $416 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caraguatatuba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.