Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Diadema

For one person, living is cheaper in Diadema: $623 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Diadema
Learn more

Diadema Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Diadema

🇧🇷 Brazil

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Diadema

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $623 in Diadema.

Nosara $1,835
Diadema $623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,074 in Diadema.

Nosara $2,825
Diadema $1,074

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,526 in Diadema.

Nosara $3,814
Diadema $1,526

Living in Nosara is roughly 195% more expensive than in Diadema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Diadema is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$8.72 R$44.22

41.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$49.36 R$250

24.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$8.79 R$44.55

-11.72%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.17 R$11.02

104.61%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.36 R$6.87

31.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.89 R$4.52

44.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.83 R$14.36

14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.27 R$21.67

3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.18 R$5.97

31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.87 R$9.48

64.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.14 R$5.77

121.93%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.66 R$13.48

29.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$9.11 R$46.17

-19.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.31 R$21.86

137.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.73 R$54.4

31.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.70 R$13.70

-15.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.85 R$9.36

-11.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.61 R$8.18

197.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.83 R$9.26

-10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.43 R$7.23

169.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.23 R$6.25

204.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.92 R$4.65

18.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.80 R$4.07

223.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.74 R$13.89

86.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$9.00 R$45.64

121.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.69 R$8.58

65.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.47 R$12.51

42.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.27 R$6.43

70.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.01 R$5.13

54.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$9.27 R$46.97

-6.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.30 R$6.58

19.23%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.9K R$120.9K

44.85%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$33.3K R$168.8K

16.36%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$43.18 R$219

119.59%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$14.52 R$73.6

148.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$18.47 R$93.6

187.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$19.98 R$101

269.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.84 R$39.73

0.89%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$439 R$2,223

11.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,604 R$38.5K

56.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$55.0 R$279

-0.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$57.9 R$293

-3.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$95.3 R$483

-15.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$85.5 R$434

-8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,209 R$6,128

484.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$796 R$4,036

55.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$505 R$2,558

75.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.12

-22.48%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Diadema: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Diadema

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Diadema

$218 35.1% 37.6% $131

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Diadema

$154 24.7% 27.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Diadema

$76 12.2% 58.6% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Diadema

$132 21.2% 9.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Diadema

$36 5.7% 60.2% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Diadema

$6.3 * 1% 92.9% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 76% 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 $49.00 in Diadema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $218 per month, with Diadema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Diadema

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

08:39 8:39 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

393,237

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Diadema 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Diadema

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 Diadema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diadema is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 195% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% 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 $623 in Diadema – a 195% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $623 in Diadema versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Diadema but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Diadema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Diadema 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 Diadema 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 Diadema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 195% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.