Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Porto Alegre

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $196 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 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

Porto Alegre

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$196

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Porto Alegre

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $196 in Porto Alegre, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Porto Alegre $196

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $413 in Porto Alegre, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Porto Alegre $413

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $629 in Porto Alegre, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Porto Alegre $629

Nosara costs about 837% more than Porto Alegre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Porto Alegre is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$37.08 STN 810

62.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.55 STN 121

35.86%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.55 STN 55.6

69.02%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.08 STN 23.63

59.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.83 STN 18.12

62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.20 STN 48.11

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.05 STN 44.73

54.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.03 STN 22.52

134.95%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.23 STN 48.67

60.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$18.97 STN 415

-60.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$12.16 STN 266

12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.22 STN 48.45

122.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.11 STN 24.22

151.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

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

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

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 Porto Alegre: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Porto Alegre

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Porto Alegre

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Porto Alegre

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Porto Alegre

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Porto Alegre

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Porto Alegre

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Porto Alegre

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $37.00 in Porto Alegre. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $132 – making Porto Alegre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇹 Porto Alegre

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

12:30 12:30 PM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

795

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 STN = 4.58 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 21.85 STN (100 STN = 4.58 USD). 1 EUR = 24.48 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Nosara Porto Alegre 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Porto Alegre

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 Porto Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $196 in Porto Alegre – roughly 837% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $294 in Porto Alegre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $37.00 in Porto Alegre. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $196 in Porto Alegre. That's a gap of about 837%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Porto Alegre, where all-in costs run around $196, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Porto Alegre 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 $196 in Porto Alegre to $1,837 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 Porto Alegre. 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.