Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Guarulhos

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarulhos: $974 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Guarulhos
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Guarulhos Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Guarulhos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Guarulhos

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $974 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Guarulhos $974

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,776 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Guarulhos $1,776

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,578 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Guarulhos $2,578

Nosara costs about 89% more than Guarulhos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Guarulhos is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.14 R$46.36

35.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$39.64 R$201

54.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.79 R$44.57

-14.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.61 R$13.25

68.97%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.43 R$7.25

21.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.88 R$4.45

48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.37 R$12.01

38.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.07 R$20.63

9.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.02 R$5.18

52.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.86 R$9.42

62.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.33 R$6.72

88.72%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.57 R$13.04

38.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.52 R$63.5

-40.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.02 R$25.42

109.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.63 R$53.9

31.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.40 R$12.17

-2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.72 R$8.74

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.60 R$8.12

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.53 R$7.74

5.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.26 R$6.39

201.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.25 R$6.34

195.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.92 R$4.67

22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.86 R$4.37

209.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.48 R$12.55

108.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.84 R$49.87

102.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.56 R$7.92

85.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.54 R$12.89

42.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.21 R$6.15

-7.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$102 R$519

-29.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.23 R$6.26

73.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.71 R$3.62

121.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.85 R$44.85

-3.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.29 R$6.53

17.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.0K R$121.6K

-9.91%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.6K R$175.4K

-0.25%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$91.9 R$466

4.79%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.76 R$74.8

143.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$22.84 R$116

134.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$27.95 R$142

156.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.11 R$51.3

-21.96%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$436 R$2,208

13.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.1K R$56.2K

6.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$66.2 R$336

-18.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$58.2 R$295

-4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.1 R$482

-18.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$80.5 R$408

-1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$349 R$1,767

126.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$161 R$814

394.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$990 R$5,017

298.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$768 R$3,891

84.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,980 R$10.0K

249.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,472 R$7,464

-16.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$379 R$1,924

127.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.25

-23.38%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Guarulhos

$161 16.5% 79.8% $634

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Guarulhos

$228 23.4% 35.2% $124

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Guarulhos

$160 16.4% 24.4% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Guarulhos

$129 13.3% 30.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Guarulhos

$135 13.9% 12.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Guarulhos

$48 5% 44.9% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Guarulhos

$112 11.5% 28.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $349 in Guarulhos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 128% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $40.00 in Guarulhos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $228 – making Guarulhos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Guarulhos

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,291,771

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Guarulhos 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Guarulhos

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 Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 89% more than Guarulhos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,460 in Guarulhos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarulhos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $40.00 in Guarulhos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $974 in Guarulhos. That's a gap of about 89%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $974, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $974 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Guarulhos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.