Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cuiaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuiaba: $1,081 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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 Cuiaba
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Cuiaba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Cuiaba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,081

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cuiaba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,081 in Cuiaba.

Nosara $1,837
Cuiaba $1,081

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,618 in Cuiaba.

Nosara $2,775
Cuiaba $1,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,155 in Cuiaba.

Nosara $3,712
Cuiaba $2,155

Living in Nosara is roughly 70% more expensive than in Cuiaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Cuiaba is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.03 R$25.12

142.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$35.60 R$178

69.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.90 R$39.43

-4.56%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.85 R$9.21

132.97%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.48 R$7.37

16.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.78 R$3.89

73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.03 R$10.15

59.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.62 R$13.10

70.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.23 R$6.14

27.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.60 R$7.98

98.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.91 R$9.55

26.70%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.08 R$15.36

15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$17.15 R$85.6

-56.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.82 R$24.04

116.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.36 R$56.7

20.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.39 R$11.91

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.40 R$12.00

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.50 R$12.49

89.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.01 R$15.02

-44.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.55 R$12.72

45.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.11 R$10.51

69.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.65 R$8.23

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.43 R$7.15

78.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.29 R$11.45

116.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.63 R$58.1

72.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.07 R$10.31

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.06 R$15.28

15.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.02 R$5.11

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$38.30 R$191

88.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.31 R$6.53

19.85%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$29.9K R$149.2K

-27.08%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.5K R$167.3K

3.34%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$178 R$888

-47.46%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$19.31 R$96.4

81.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$27.04 R$135

90.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$26.15 R$131

173.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$19.84 R$99.0

78.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.17 R$30.80

27.07%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$432 R$2,158

13.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$9,696 R$48.4K

22.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$76.8 R$383

-30.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$49.06 R$245

13.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$155 R$775

-48.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$71.2 R$356

10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$336 R$1,679

133.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$233 R$1,163

234.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$660 R$3,295

484.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$370 R$1,848

280.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,370 R$6,838

408.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$793 R$3,958

51.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$399 R$1,992

119.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

16.1

-46.46%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Cuiaba

$233 21.3% 70.1% $547

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Cuiaba

$285 26.1% 18.6% $65

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Cuiaba

$111 10.1% 47.2% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Cuiaba

$224 20.5% 24.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Cuiaba

$159 14.5% 31.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cuiaba

$38 3.5% 55.8% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cuiaba

$42 * 3.9% 51.2% $44

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 $786 in Nosara and $336 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 120% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $36.00 in Cuiaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $285 per month, with Cuiaba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Cuiaba

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

02:16 2:16 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

650,877

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cuiaba 4,320 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cuiaba

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 Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 120% 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: $786 in Nosara versus $336 in Cuiaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,081 in Cuiaba – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,081 in Cuiaba versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cuiaba but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cuiaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cuiaba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,081 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuiaba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.