Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Rio das Ostras

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio das Ostras: $715 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Rio das Ostras
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Rio das Ostras Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Rio das Ostras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Rio das Ostras

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 Rio das Ostras actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $715 in Rio das Ostras, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Rio das Ostras $715

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,208 in Rio das Ostras, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Rio das Ostras $1,208

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,701 in Rio das Ostras, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Rio das Ostras $1,701

Nosara costs about 157% more than Rio das Ostras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Rio das Ostras is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.03 R$30.59

104.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$29.90 R$152

104.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.99 R$35.45

7.58%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.80 R$9.10

145.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.36 R$6.89

27.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.62 R$3.12

111.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.17 R$5.91

180.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.10 R$15.70

44.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.02 R$5.19

52.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.58 R$8.02

91.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.25 R$6.35

100.80%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.94 R$9.86

84.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.98 R$40.43

-6.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.55 R$18.02

196.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.67 R$43.97

61.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.87 R$9.50

25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.16 R$5.89

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.97 R$4.94

394.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.27 R$6.44

26.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.65 R$3.31

484.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.80 R$4.07

361.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.52 R$2.66

117.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.73 R$3.68

264.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.16 R$10.93

139.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.78 R$44.53

126.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.09 R$10.59

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.42 R$7.18

155.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.99 R$5.01

13.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$41.72 R$211

74.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.42 R$7.22

50.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.78 R$3.97

101.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.95 R$40.29

7.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.18 R$5.99

28.81%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.6K R$109.4K

0.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.4K R$159.2K

9.89%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$68.8 R$349

40.00%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.09 R$51.2

255.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.47 R$98.7

175.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$23.99 R$122

198.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$27.80 R$141

25.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.52 R$33.08

21.01%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$328 R$1,662

50.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,823 R$39.7K

51.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.5 R$281

-2.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$28.36 R$144

95.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$67.9 R$344

14.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$48.75 R$247

63.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$204 R$1,036

285.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$149 R$757

431.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$540 R$2,738

629.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$413 R$2,095

243.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,714 R$8,689

303.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,192 R$6,043

2.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$556 R$2,817

55.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-13.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rio das Ostras: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Rio das Ostras

$149 20.9% 81.2% $645

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Rio das Ostras

$178 25% 49.4% $174

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Rio das Ostras

$111 15.5% 47.7% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Rio das Ostras

$98 13.8% 47.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Rio das Ostras

$90 12.6% 24.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Rio das Ostras

$37 5.2% 57.6% $50

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Rio das Ostras

$51 7.1% 41.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $204 in Rio das Ostras. 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 55% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $30.00 in Rio das Ostras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $178 – making Rio das Ostras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Rio das Ostras

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

05:29 5:29 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

156,491

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Rio das Ostras 5,980 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Rio das Ostras

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 Rio das Ostras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $715 in Rio das Ostras – roughly 157% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,073 in Rio das Ostras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 74% less in Rio das Ostras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $328 in Rio das Ostras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio das Ostras, where all-in costs run around $715, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Rio das Ostras 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 $715 in Rio das Ostras to $1,839 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 Rio das Ostras. 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.