Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Contenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $870 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Contenda
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Contenda Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Contenda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$870

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Contenda

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $870 in Contenda, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Contenda $870

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,325 in Contenda, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Contenda $1,325

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,780 in Contenda, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Contenda $1,780

Nosara costs about 111% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$3.92 R$19.65

215.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$11.83 R$59.4

417.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$8.16 R$40.93

-7.84%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$2.40 R$12.05

83.75%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.38 R$6.94

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.61 R$3.07

114.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$1.96 R$9.82

67.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$1.96 R$9.83

128.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.07 R$5.36

45.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$1.63 R$8.17

85.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.34 R$6.71

87.31%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$2.57 R$12.88

38.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$9.99 R$50.1

-25.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$3.96 R$19.86

165.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$8.05 R$40.41

73.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$2.44 R$12.25

-3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.19 R$5.97

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$1.18 R$5.90

306.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.38 R$6.94

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$0.97 R$4.89

291.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$0.93 R$4.68

296.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.82 R$4.11

37.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.72 R$3.60

269.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$3.02 R$15.16

71.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$3.96 R$19.86

402.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.48 R$7.40

95.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$2.02 R$10.13

79.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$0.99 R$4.98

13.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$43.35 R$218

67.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$1.19 R$5.96

79.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.03 R$5.16

52.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$10.19 R$51.1

-16.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.22 R$6.12

24.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$18.3K R$91.7K

18.26%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.8K R$109.4K

58.25%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$84.0 R$422

14.58%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.20 R$41.16

337.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$20.25 R$102

164.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$26.41 R$133

171.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$27.34 R$137

27.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$8.14 R$40.85

-3.07%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$284 R$1,425

74.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.1K R$55.7K

6.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$66.3 R$332

-18.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$71.0 R$356

-21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$114 R$573

-31.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$70.9 R$356

12.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$343 R$1,719

130.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$226 R$1,133

251.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$743 R$3,725

430.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$424 R$2,129

234.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,493 R$7,488

363.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$1,359 R$6,819

-9.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.61

-18.76%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Contenda: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Contenda

$226 26% 71.6% $569

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Contenda

$183 21.1% 47.9% $169

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Contenda

$106 12.2% 49.8% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Contenda

$113 12.9% 39.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Contenda

$145 16.7% 20.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Contenda

$43 4.9% 51.1% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Contenda

$54 6.2% 38.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $343 in Contenda. 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 $12.00 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $183 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Contenda

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

13:13 1:13 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

19,128

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 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 = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Contenda 5,570 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Contenda

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 111% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,304 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $284 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $870, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $870 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Contenda. 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.