Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Porto Seguro

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Seguro: $775 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Porto Seguro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $775 in Porto Seguro, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,837
  • Porto Seguro $775

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,327 in Porto Seguro, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,775
  • Porto Seguro $1,327

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,879 in Porto Seguro, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,712
  • Porto Seguro $1,879

Nosara costs about 137% more than Porto Seguro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Porto Seguro is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Porto Seguro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 ₡5,509
$6.15 R$30.72
98.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.2 ₡27.1K
$19.86 R$99.1
203.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₡3,399
$7.28 R$36.36
3.57%
Cappuccino
$4.31 ₡1,941
$2.19 R$10.93
96.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡773
$1.21 R$6.05
42.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₡608
$0.63 R$3.14
114.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,459
$1.76 R$8.76
84.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48 ₡2,018
$3.18 R$15.88
40.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Porto Seguro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡707
$1.43 R$7.14
9.79%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 ₡1,429
$1.50 R$7.49
111.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 ₡1,091
$1.54 R$7.71
57.14%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,609
$4.46 R$22.25
-19.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,349
$9.27 R$46.28
-19.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 ₡4,697
$4.21 R$21.00
147.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.66 ₡6,156
$8.72 R$43.53
56.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ₡1,044
$2.26 R$11.27
2.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡728
$1.38 R$6.88
16.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 ₡2,138
$1.17 R$5.85
305.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 ₡747
$1.63 R$8.15
1.84%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 ₡1,679
$1.51 R$7.55
146.36%
Onion (1kg)
$3.57 ₡1,611
$1.22 R$6.09
192.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₡497
$0.71 R$3.55
54.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,149
$1.42 R$7.09
79.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.95 ₡2,232
$2.58 R$12.87
91.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.01 ₡9,020
$6.13 R$30.62
226.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,256
$1.67 R$8.35
67.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ₡1,589
$3.09 R$15.42
14.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Porto Seguro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₡537
$1.19 R$5.93
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.1 ₡32.5K
$44.22 R$221
62.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ₡1,011
$1.33 R$6.65
68.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 ₡701
$0.86 R$4.30
80.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₡3,993
$7.79 R$38.87
13.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡708
$1.41 R$7.04
11.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₡9.8M
$23.7K R$118.4K
-8.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K ₡15.6M
$32.5K R$162.1K
6.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Porto Seguro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.5 ₡42.1K
$52.9 R$264
76.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.11 ₡15.8K
$9.49 R$47.38
269.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 ₡23.2K
$17.69 R$88.3
191.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Porto Seguro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.4 ₡32.2K
$23.73 R$118
200.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 ₡16.0K
$30.29 R$151
17.00%
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 ₡3,535
$7.29 R$36.37
7.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Porto Seguro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡220.7K
$320 R$1,599
52.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.4M
$7,092 R$35.4K
67.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Porto Seguro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ₡24.1K
$55.5 R$277
-3.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 ₡25.1K
$50.3 R$251
10.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 ₡35.7K
$90.2 R$450
-12.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 ₡35.6K
$73.4 R$366
7.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Porto Seguro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$786 ₡354.3K
$273 R$1,363
187.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 ₡351.6K
$166 R$827
370.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,860 ₡1.7M
$577 R$2,880
568.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 ₡634.4K
$477 R$2,380
195.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,972 ₡3.1M
$1,725 R$8,609
304.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,201 ₡541.3K
$1,186 R$5,920
1.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Porto Seguro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 ₡395.0K
$321 R$1,603
172.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
11
-21.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Porto Seguro: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$780
Porto Seguro
$166 78.8% $614
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Porto Seguro
$214 38.7% $135
Eating Out
Nosara
$209
Porto Seguro
$120 42.8% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$180
Porto Seguro
$80 55.5% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Porto Seguro
$121 0.7% $0.9
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Porto Seguro
$38 56% $49
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Porto Seguro
$55 37.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $273 in Porto Seguro. 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 173% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $20.00 in Porto Seguro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $214 – making Porto Seguro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇧🇷 Porto Seguro
🕒 Local time
04:49 4:49 AM
07:49 7:49 AM
3 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
168,326
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Porto Seguro 5,910 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Porto Seguro

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 Seguro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Porto Seguro compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $775 in Porto Seguro – roughly 137% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Porto Seguro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,163 in Porto Seguro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Porto Seguro?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Porto Seguro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Porto Seguro?
Public transport costs about 63% less in Porto Seguro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Porto Seguro?
Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $320 in Porto Seguro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Porto Seguro, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Porto Seguro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Porto Seguro?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $775 in Porto Seguro to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Porto Seguro safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Porto Seguro?
If budget matters most, go with Porto Seguro. 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.

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