Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gravataí

For one person, living is cheaper in Gravataí: $837 a month against $1,835 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Gravataí
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Gravataí Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Gravataí

🇧🇷 Brazil

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gravataí

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $837 in Gravataí.

Nosara $1,835
Gravataí $837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,280 in Gravataí.

Nosara $2,825
Gravataí $1,280

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,723 in Gravataí.

Nosara $3,814
Gravataí $1,723

Living in Nosara is roughly 119% more expensive than in Gravataí, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Gravataí is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$3.86 R$19.58

219.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$19.58 R$99.2

213.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$8.04 R$40.76

-3.48%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.08 R$10.52

113.46%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.55 R$7.88

15.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.06 R$5.39

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.03 R$10.28

59.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.95 R$25.07

-10.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.98 R$4.99

58.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.37 R$12.04

29.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.14 R$5.78

121.93%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.95 R$9.91

76.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$12.44 R$63.1

-41.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.08 R$30.83

68.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.15 R$46.36

54.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.25 R$11.43

1.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.28 R$6.49

28.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.16 R$5.89

312.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.51 R$7.64

8.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.26 R$6.41

205.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.06 R$5.38

253.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.85 R$4.31

28.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.05 R$5.32

146.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.17 R$10.99

135.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$8.17 R$41.40

143.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.27 R$6.44

120.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.10 R$10.64

67.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.40 R$7.10

-12.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$47.31 R$240

56.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.35 R$6.84

60.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.77 R$3.93

102.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$8.90 R$45.10

-2.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.10 R$5.58

40.91%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.9K R$101.0K

73.36%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.8K R$135.7K

44.75%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$76.1 R$386

24.68%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$8.06 R$40.87

348.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$20.93 R$106

153.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$25.50 R$129

189.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$27.85 R$141

27.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.15 R$36.27

10.63%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$159 R$808

207.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,110 R$36.0K

67.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$54.4 R$276

0.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$51.6 R$262

8.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$56.4 R$286

42.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$65.8 R$334

18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$271 R$1,375

195.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$200 R$1,013

295.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$502 R$2,547

697.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$339 R$1,719

315.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,652 R$8,377

327.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,182 R$5,992

4.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$641 R$3,252

38.21%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Gravataí: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Gravataí

$200 23.9% 74.7% $590

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Gravataí

$221 26.4% 36.8% $129

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Gravataí

$110 13.2% 48.1% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Gravataí

$105 12.6% 42.9% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Gravataí

$103 12.3% 15.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Gravataí

$40 4.8% 55.6% $50

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Gravataí

$58 7% 34.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $271 in Gravataí. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 38% 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 $20.00 in Gravataí for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $221 per month, with Gravataí cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Gravataí

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

18:00 6:00 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

265,074

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Gravataí 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gravataí

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 Gravataí: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gravataí is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $801 in Nosara versus $271 in Gravataí. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gravataí – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $837 in Gravataí – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $837 in Gravataí versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gravataí but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gravataí the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gravataí 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 Gravataí 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 Gravataí gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.