Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gramado

For one person, living is cheaper in Gramado: $913 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Gramado
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Gramado Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Gramado

🇧🇷 Brazil

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gramado

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $913 in Gramado.

Nosara $1,839
Gramado $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,445 in Gramado.

Nosara $2,828
Gramado $1,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,977 in Gramado.

Nosara $3,818
Gramado $1,977

Living in Nosara is roughly 101% more expensive than in Gramado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Gramado is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.92 R$40.13

55.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$25.23 R$128

142.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.97 R$30.25

25.96%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.68 R$8.51

162.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.18 R$5.97

47.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.71 R$3.60

84.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.44 R$12.38

34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.95 R$9.91

129.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.03 R$5.22

51.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.44 R$7.30

109.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.12 R$5.68

124.11%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.41 R$12.20

48.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.33 R$52.4

-28.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.36 R$22.12

141.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.86 R$29.71

138.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.47 R$12.52

-4.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.52 R$7.71

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.42 R$7.20

238.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.67 R$8.45

-3.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.99 R$5.04

283.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.09 R$5.52

238.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.60 R$3.02

88.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.71 R$3.62

274.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.44 R$12.38

112.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.95 R$30.16

234.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.18 R$6.00

145.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.94 R$9.81

87.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.20 R$6.09

-6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$68.1 R$345

6.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.28 R$6.47

67.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.61 R$3.11

157.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.87 R$29.78

45.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.26 R$6.40

20.63%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.0K R$101.6K

7.79%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.9K R$141.3K

23.84%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$62.1 R$315

55.01%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$12.32 R$62.5

191.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$21.78 R$110

146.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$25.81 R$131

177.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$27.98 R$142

24.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.45 R$32.69

22.33%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$295 R$1,497

67.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,296 R$16.7K

259.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$50.3 R$255

7.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$34.64 R$176

59.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$70.9 R$360

9.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$48.80 R$247

63.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$505 R$2,560

56.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$301 R$1,527

163.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$927 R$4,702

324.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$601 R$3,044

136.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,599 R$13.2K

165.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,608 R$8,151

-23.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$611 R$3,099

41.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-13.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gramado: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Gramado

$301 33% 62.1% $493

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Gramado

$182 20% 48.2% $170

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Gramado

$125 13.7% 41% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Gramado

$96 10.5% 48.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Gramado

$92 10.1% 23.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gramado

$39 4.2% 55.7% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Gramado

$77 8.5% 11.3% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $505 in Gramado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 41% 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 $25.00 in Gramado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $182 per month, with Gramado cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Gramado

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

04:39 4:39 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

40,134

💱 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 Gramado 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gramado

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 Gramado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gramado is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $505 in Gramado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $295 in Gramado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Gramado versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gramado but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gramado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gramado 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 Gramado 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 Gramado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.