Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Castelo Branco

For one person, living is cheaper in Castelo Branco: $1,100 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Castelo Branco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco.

Nosara $1,839
Castelo Branco $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,666 in Castelo Branco.

Nosara $2,828
Castelo Branco $1,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,233 in Castelo Branco.

Nosara $3,818
Castelo Branco $2,233

Living in Nosara is roughly 67% more expensive than in Castelo Branco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Castelo Branco is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.29 €10.05

9.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$39.12 €34.80

56.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.62 €8.56

-21.83%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.25 €1.11

252.80%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.41 €1.25

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.26 €1.12

3.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.09 €0.97

200.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.20 €1.96

103.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.17 €1.04

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.30 €1.16

132.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.45 €1.29

73.10%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.87 €3.44

-7.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.76 €7.79

-15.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.80 €5.16

81.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.58 €7.63

62.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.11 €1.88

11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.31 €1.17

22.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.75 €1.56

174.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.30 €2.05

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.65 €1.47

130.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.45 €1.29

154.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.14 €1.02

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.81 €0.72

228.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.97 €5.31

-13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$3.39 €3.01

486.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.17 €1.04

147.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.95 €1.73

86.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.25 €1.11

-10.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$22.20 €19.75

227.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.25 €2.00

-4.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.74 €0.66

112.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$16.67 €14.83

-48.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.04 €1.82

-25.49%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$33.5K €29.8K

-35.51%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.5K €36.0K

-14.73%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$120 €106

-19.52%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$19.03 €16.92

88.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.99 €28.45

67.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.32 €34.97

82.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.70 €5.96

17.76%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$678 €603

-27.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.9K €15.1K

-29.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$78.7 €70.0

-31.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.71 €39.77

23.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$82.1 €73.0

-5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$67.6 €60.2

17.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$458 €407

72.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$363 €323

118.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$796 €708

395.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$605 €538

134.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,574 €1,400

339.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,322 €1,176

-7.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,617 €1,438

-46.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.85

123.90%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Castelo Branco

$363 33% 54.3% $431

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4% 42.5% $150

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1% 27% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5% 8.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2% 2.4% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8% 39.7% $35

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Castelo Branco

$33 3% 61.9% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $39.00 in Castelo Branco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $203 per month, with Castelo Branco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

14:54 2:54 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

52,291

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Castelo Branco 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Castelo Branco

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 Castelo Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Castelo Branco. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 227% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.