Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Montes Claros

For one person, living is cheaper in Montes Claros: $844 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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 Montes Claros
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Montes Claros Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Montes Claros

🇧🇷 Brazil

$844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Montes Claros

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $844 in Montes Claros.

Nosara $1,835
Montes Claros $844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,344 in Montes Claros.

Nosara $2,825
Montes Claros $1,344

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,843 in Montes Claros.

Nosara $3,814
Montes Claros $1,843

Living in Nosara is roughly 117% more expensive than in Montes Claros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$3.40 R$17.22

262.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$32.15 R$163

90.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$7.91 R$40.08

-1.90%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.05 R$10.41

116.59%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.33 R$6.72

34.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.79 R$4.03

63.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.48 R$7.51

118.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.02 R$15.33

46.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.05 R$5.33

47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.64 R$8.33

87.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.20 R$6.11

110.83%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.11 R$10.72

63.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$8.75 R$44.36

-16.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.39 R$22.24

133.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$8.31 R$42.13

69.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.30 R$11.65

-0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.27 R$6.46

29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.26 R$6.41

280.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.55 R$7.87

5.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.17 R$5.92

229.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.03 R$5.21

264.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.84 R$4.25

29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.80 R$4.07

223.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.31 R$11.69

121.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$8.04 R$40.76

147.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.26 R$6.41

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.97 R$10.00

78.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.76 R$3.85

60.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$38.30 R$194

92.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.34 R$6.81

61.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.86 R$4.34

81.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$6.97 R$35.35

24.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.03 R$5.23

50.49%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.8K R$131.0K

33.72%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$30.9K R$156.4K

25.58%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$78.3 R$397

21.10%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$13.80 R$70.0

161.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$19.30 R$97.9

174.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$25.26 R$128

192.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$24.74 R$125

44.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.71 R$39.11

2.59%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$242 R$1,225

102.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,287 R$36.9K

63.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$55.9 R$283

-1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$50.4 R$255

10.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$90.5 R$459

-11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$69.5 R$352

12.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$354 R$1,793

126.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$238 R$1,205

232.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$655 R$3,323

510.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$466 R$2,363

202.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,599 R$8,106

341.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,006 R$5,100

22.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$414 R$2,097

114.32%

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 Montes Claros: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Montes Claros

$238 28.2% 69.9% $552

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Montes Claros

$190 22.5% 45.6% $159

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Montes Claros

$97 11.6% 54.2% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Montes Claros

$111 13.2% 39.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Montes Claros

$120 14.2% 1% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Montes Claros

$41 4.8% 54.6% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Montes Claros

$47 5.6% 47.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $354 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 114% 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 $32.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $190 per month, with Montes Claros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Montes Claros

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

19:06 7:06 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

414,240

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Montes Claros 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Montes Claros

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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Montes Claros differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $844 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% 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 $354 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montes Claros runs roughly 93% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $242 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $844 in Montes Claros versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.