Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Contagem

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $788 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$788

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Contagem

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $788 in Contagem, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Contagem $788

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,272 in Contagem, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Contagem $1,272

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,755 in Contagem, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Contagem $1,755

Nosara costs about 133% more than Contagem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Contagem is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.06 R$30.73

103.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$30.50 R$155

100.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.32 R$37.10

2.73%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.76 R$8.93

150.57%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.42 R$7.19

22.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.58 R$2.96

125.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.32 R$6.69

148.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.57 R$13.05

73.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.00 R$5.09

56.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.84 R$9.34

64.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.37 R$6.94

83.21%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.98 R$10.06

80.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.07 R$51.1

-26.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.47 R$17.61

203.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.50 R$38.03

86.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.91 R$9.69

23.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.17 R$5.91

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.94 R$4.75

410.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.67 R$8.48

-3.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.09 R$5.53

248.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.99 R$5.00

272.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.85 R$4.33

32.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.82 R$4.14

224.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.64 R$8.31

215.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.04 R$30.61

229.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.02 R$5.18

184.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.37 R$6.94

164.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.50 R$7.61

-25.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$80.1 R$406

-9.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.19 R$6.04

79.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.79 R$3.99

98.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.28 R$31.84

35.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.32 R$6.67

15.15%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.5K R$119.3K

-8.15%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.6K R$160.4K

9.12%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$76.2 R$386

26.43%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.11 R$51.3

255.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.26 R$97.7

178.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$26.55 R$135

169.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$23.62 R$120

47.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.31 R$37.04

7.93%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$144 R$732

242.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,630 R$13.3K

350.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$61.6 R$312

-12.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$49.74 R$252

11.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$68.6 R$348

13.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$48.25 R$245

64.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$232 R$1,174

240.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$158 R$798

404.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$488 R$2,475

706.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$334 R$1,693

325.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,991 R$10.1K

247.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,015 R$5,146

20.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$261 R$1,324

230.75%

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 Contagem: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Contagem

$158 20% 80.2% $637

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Contagem

$179 22.7% 49.2% $173

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Contagem

$111 14.1% 47.4% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Contagem

$106 13.4% 43.2% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Contagem

$103 13% 14.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Contagem

$41 5.2% 52.9% $46

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Contagem

$91 11.6% 4.7% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $232 in Contagem. 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 231% 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 $31.00 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $179 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Contagem

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

621,863

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Contagem 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Contagem

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 Contagem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 133%, 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 $1,183 in Contagem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 10% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $144 in Contagem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $788, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Contagem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – 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 Contagem. 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.