Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chapeco

For one person, living is cheaper in Chapeco: $980 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Chapeco
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Chapeco Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Chapeco

🇧🇷 Brazil

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chapeco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $980 in Chapeco.

Nosara $1,835
Chapeco $980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,454 in Chapeco.

Nosara $2,825
Chapeco $1,454

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,927 in Chapeco.

Nosara $3,814
Chapeco $1,927

Living in Nosara is roughly 87% more expensive than in Chapeco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Chapeco is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$5.53 R$28.05

123.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$35.46 R$180

72.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$8.92 R$45.20

-13.00%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.92 R$9.76

131.25%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.75 R$3.80

138.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.59 R$2.98

118.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.45 R$7.33

123.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.31 R$11.73

91.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.90 R$4.56

72.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.14 R$5.78

170.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.14 R$10.85

18.22%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.86 R$9.44

85.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$8.24 R$41.75

-11.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$7.53 R$38.20

35.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.95 R$55.5

28.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.34 R$11.88

-2.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$0.99 R$5.02

65.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$0.53 R$2.68

803.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$0.70 R$3.54

134.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.53 R$2.70

626.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$0.53 R$2.70

607.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.95 R$4.83

14.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.70 R$3.53

270.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.32 R$11.75

120.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$9.31 R$47.19

113.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$0.88 R$4.48

218.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.48 R$7.49

137.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.97 R$4.94

25.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$36.44 R$185

102.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.28 R$6.50

69.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.17 R$5.93

32.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.9K R$116.0K

51.03%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$30.5K R$154.6K

27.03%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$172 R$873

-44.92%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$10.47 R$53.1

245.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$18.84 R$95.5

181.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$26.24 R$133

181.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$33.45 R$170

6.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$6.68 R$33.86

18.41%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$26.98 R$137

103.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$18.26 R$92.6

206.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$36.87 R$187

117.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$53.6 R$272

45.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$415 R$2,103

93.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$329 R$1,668

139.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$851 R$4,313

370.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$536 R$2,718

162.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,509 R$7,649

368.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$987 R$5,005

25.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$414 R$2,097

114.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Chapeco

$329 33.6% 58.3% $461

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Chapeco

$196 20% 44% $154

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Chapeco

$111 11.4% 47.7% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Chapeco

$201 20.6% 9.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Chapeco

$61 6.2% 49.5% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Chapeco

$40 4% 55.8% $50

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Chapeco

$42 * 4.3% 53.1% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $415 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 114% 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 $35.00 in Chapeco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $196 per month, with Chapeco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Chapeco

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

18:57 6:57 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

243,477

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Chapeco 5,450 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chapeco

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 Chapeco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapeco wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapeco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $801 in Nosara versus $415 in Chapeco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $980 in Chapeco – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $980 in Chapeco versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chapeco but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chapeco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chapeco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $980 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chapeco hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Chapeco 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 Chapeco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.