Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mindelo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mindelo: $391 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Mindelo

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mindelo

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $391 in Mindelo, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Mindelo $391

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $903 in Mindelo, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Mindelo $903

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,414 in Mindelo, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Mindelo $1,414

Nosara costs about 369% more than Mindelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Mindelo is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$9.09 CVE 895

34.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$55.5 CVE 5,465

8.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.14 CVE 112

278.07%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.26 CVE 124

36.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.99 CVE 97.7

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.66 CVE 262

21.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.54 CVE 152

190.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.50 CVE 148

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.14 CVE 112

178.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.79 CVE 77.9

206.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.63 CVE 259

35.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$15.99 CVE 1,573

-53.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$17.45 CVE 1,717

-21.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.23 CVE 219

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.96 CVE 193

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.83 CVE 278

67.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.01 CVE 296

-44.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.82 CVE 81.0

353.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.72 CVE 169

107.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.00 CVE 98.0

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.75 CVE 74.3

240.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.97 CVE 489

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.19 CVE 806

144.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.91 CVE 188

46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.06 CVE 203

71.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.45 CVE 44.33

164.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$29.95 CVE 2,947

140.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.56 CVE 154

43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.49 CVE 146

4.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$10.28 CVE 1,011

-13.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.75 CVE 172

-10.29%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$3.07 CVE 302

1054.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$359 CVE 35.4K

973.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$256 CVE 25.2K

449.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mindelo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Mindelo

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Mindelo

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Mindelo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Mindelo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Mindelo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mindelo

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mindelo

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $56.0 in Mindelo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $239 – making Mindelo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇻 Mindelo

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

03:51 3:51 AM

5 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

70,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.16 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.06 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, 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).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 98.4 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.06 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Mindelo 6,580 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mindelo

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 Mindelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 369%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $587 in Mindelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 141% less in Mindelo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mindelo, where all-in costs run around $391, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Mindelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mindelo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Mindelo. 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.