Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dourados

For one person, living is cheaper in Dourados: $834 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Dourados
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Dourados Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Dourados

🇧🇷 Brazil

$834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dourados

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $834 in Dourados.

Nosara $1,837
Dourados $834

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,332 in Dourados.

Nosara $2,775
Dourados $1,332

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,830 in Dourados.

Nosara $3,712
Dourados $1,830

Living in Nosara is roughly 120% more expensive than in Dourados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Dourados is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.71 R$28.50

114.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$30.70 R$153

96.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.07 R$35.31

6.65%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.94 R$9.68

122.16%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.22 R$6.11

40.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.72 R$3.58

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.94 R$9.69

67.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.85 R$14.24

57.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.00 R$4.98

57.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.59 R$7.94

99.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.21 R$6.02

100.00%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.10 R$10.50

70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.26 R$46.21

-19.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.06 R$20.25

156.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$8.23 R$41.08

65.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.11 R$10.54

9.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.27 R$6.35

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.12 R$5.59

323.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.54 R$7.66

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.19 R$5.96

212.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.03 R$5.13

246.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.74 R$3.70

48.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.79 R$3.95

222.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.44 R$12.20

102.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$7.71 R$38.51

159.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.20 R$6.00

132.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.01 R$10.06

75.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.99 R$4.93

20.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$42.47 R$212

69.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.21 R$6.02

85.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.86 R$4.31

80.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$7.62 R$38.04

16.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.25 R$6.24

25.60%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$23.2K R$115.7K

-5.96%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$31.4K R$156.9K

10.21%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$71.4 R$356

30.97%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$12.18 R$60.8

188.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$20.18 R$101

155.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$24.67 R$123

189.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$26.16 R$131

35.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.95 R$34.71

12.81%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$283 R$1,413

72.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,853 R$34.2K

73.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$52.9 R$264

1.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$48.31 R$241

15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$90.1 R$450

-12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$69.2 R$346

13.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$343 R$1,712

129.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$233 R$1,163

234.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$656 R$3,273

488.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$458 R$2,288

207.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,626 R$8,117

328.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,112 R$5,553

7.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-21.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dourados: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Dourados

$233 27.6% 70.1% $547

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Dourados

$186 22% 46.9% $164

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Dourados

$113 13.4% 45.9% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Dourados

$104 12.3% 42.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Dourados

$117 13.9% 2.6% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dourados

$39 4.6% 55.7% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dourados

$52 6.2% 40.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $343 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $31.00 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $186 per month, with Dourados cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Dourados

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

02:09 2:09 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

243,367

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Dourados 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dourados

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 Dourados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dourados wins on cost – living expenses run 120% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dourados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $1,252 in Dourados to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $343 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dourados – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $834 in Dourados versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dourados but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Dourados the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dourados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $834 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dourados hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Dourados 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 Dourados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.