Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Paulo Afonso

For one person, living is cheaper in Paulo Afonso: $873 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Paulo Afonso
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Paulo Afonso Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Paulo Afonso

🇧🇷 Brazil

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Paulo Afonso

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $873 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Paulo Afonso $873

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,396 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Paulo Afonso $1,396

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,919 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Paulo Afonso $1,919

Nosara costs about 110% more than Paulo Afonso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Paulo Afonso is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$5.94 R$30.13

107.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$32.67 R$166

87.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$7.90 R$40.03

-1.77%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.01 R$10.18

120.90%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.28 R$6.50

39.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.81 R$4.11

59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.98 R$10.01

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.96 R$14.98

49.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.05 R$5.34

47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.71 R$8.67

80.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.26 R$6.39

100.79%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.25 R$11.40

53.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$9.21 R$46.71

-20.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.34 R$21.98

135.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$8.70 R$44.09

62.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.18 R$11.04

5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.27 R$6.45

29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.23 R$6.25

289.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.55 R$7.84

5.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.27 R$6.43

203.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.08 R$5.47

247.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.78 R$3.98

39.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.78 R$3.94

232.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.55 R$12.93

100.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$8.08 R$40.96

146.53%

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

$2.13 R$10.80

65.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.00 R$5.09

22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$43.24 R$219

70.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.29 R$6.52

68.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.86 R$4.35

81.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$7.85 R$39.79

10.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.31 R$6.66

18.32%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.7K R$120.3K

45.53%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$32.8K R$166.4K

18.02%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$74.6 R$378

27.05%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$12.23 R$62.0

195.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$21.33 R$108

148.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$25.69 R$130

187.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$28.25 R$143

26.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.44 R$37.73

6.32%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$286 R$1,451

71.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,108 R$36.0K

67.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$55.5 R$281

-1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$49.85 R$253

12.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$91.9 R$466

-12.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$74.3 R$377

4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$349 R$1,769

129.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$236 R$1,197

234.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$679 R$3,442

489.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$467 R$2,366

201.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,695 R$8,594

316.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,202 R$6,093

2.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 Paulo Afonso: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Paulo Afonso

$236 27.1% 70.1% $553

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Paulo Afonso

$193 22.2% 44.7% $156

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Paulo Afonso

$120 13.7% 43.8% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Paulo Afonso

$108 12.4% 41.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Paulo Afonso

$122 14% 1% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Paulo Afonso

$41 4.7% 54.7% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Paulo Afonso

$53 6.1% 40.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $349 in Paulo Afonso. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $33.00 in Paulo Afonso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $193 – making Paulo Afonso the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Paulo Afonso

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

112,870

💱 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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Between locations

Nosara Paulo Afonso 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Paulo Afonso

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 Paulo Afonso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $873 in Paulo Afonso – roughly 110% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,309 in Paulo Afonso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 71% less in Paulo Afonso. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $286 in Paulo Afonso. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paulo Afonso, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Paulo Afonso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $873 in Paulo Afonso to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Paulo Afonso. 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.