Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santo Andre

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Andre: $1,003 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Santo Andre
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Santo Andre Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Santo Andre

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Santo Andre

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,003 in Santo Andre, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Santo Andre $1,003

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,619 in Santo Andre, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Santo Andre $1,619

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,234 in Santo Andre, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Santo Andre $2,234

Nosara costs about 83% more than Santo Andre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Santo Andre is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$9.09 R$45.62

35.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$51.1 R$256

19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$9.11 R$45.68

-17.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$2.57 R$12.91

71.60%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.39 R$6.96

25.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.94 R$4.72

39.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$2.38 R$11.92

37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$4.03 R$20.21

10.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.06 R$5.32

47.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$1.91 R$9.60

58.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.39 R$6.95

80.58%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$2.51 R$12.58

42.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$11.00 R$55.2

-32.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$4.82 R$24.20

118.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$10.54 R$52.9

32.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$2.37 R$11.91

-0.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.66 R$8.32

-3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$1.52 R$7.63

215.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.62 R$8.15

-0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.28 R$6.41

196.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$1.25 R$6.28

195.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.98 R$4.93

15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.86 R$4.34

209.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$2.53 R$12.71

104.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$7.99 R$40.08

148.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.51 R$7.59

92.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$2.58 R$12.95

40.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.03 R$5.15

8.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$27.72 R$139

162.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$1.23 R$6.18

73.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.02 R$5.13

53.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$8.45 R$42.38

0.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.30 R$6.51

16.92%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.9K R$119.9K

-9.58%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.6K R$163.5K

5.93%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$67.2 R$337

43.22%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.08 R$75.7

138.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$22.57 R$113

137.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$25.32 R$127

182.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$27.89 R$140

25.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$7.93 R$39.77

-0.50%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$545 R$2,733

-9.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.6K R$83.3K

-28.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$66.1 R$332

-18.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$57.1 R$286

-2.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$91.4 R$459

-14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$80.5 R$404

-1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$404 R$2,025

95.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$307 R$1,539

158.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$674 R$3,380

484.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$548 R$2,750

158.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,748 R$8,771

295.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$1,174 R$5,889

4.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$554 R$2,781

55.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.81

-20.26%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santo Andre: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Santo Andre

$307 30.6% 61.4% $488

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Santo Andre

$219 21.9% 37.7% $133

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Santo Andre

$160 16% 24.4% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Santo Andre

$105 10.5% 43.5% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Santo Andre

$133 13.2% 10.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santo Andre

$41 4.1% 52.9% $46

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Santo Andre

$38 3.8% 56.2% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $404 in Santo Andre. 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 56% 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 $51.0 in Santo Andre. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $219 – making Santo Andre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Santo Andre

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

16:23 4:23 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

748,919

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santo Andre 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santo Andre

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 Santo Andre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,003 in Santo Andre – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,505 in Santo Andre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 162% less in Santo Andre. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $545 in Santo Andre. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santo Andre, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santo Andre 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 $1,003 in Santo Andre 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 Santo Andre. 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.