Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santos

For one person, living is cheaper in Santos: $1,132 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Santos
Learn more

Santos Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Santos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Santos

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,132 in Santos, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Santos $1,132

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,745 in Santos, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Santos $1,745

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,359 in Santos, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Santos $2,359

Nosara costs about 62% more than Santos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Santos is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$7.80 R$38.94

56.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$32.51 R$162

85.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.91 R$34.48

9.12%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.78 R$13.86

55.04%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.41 R$7.05

21.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.01 R$5.03

33.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.64 R$13.17

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.96 R$14.80

51.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.08 R$5.38

45.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.85 R$9.22

71.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.38 R$6.91

75.36%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.52 R$12.56

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$12.16 R$60.7

-38.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.91 R$24.49

112.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.06 R$50.2

35.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.12 R$10.60

9.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.26 R$6.27

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.98 R$9.89

139.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.81 R$9.01

-8.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.32 R$6.59

181.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.30 R$6.49

174.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.21 R$6.03

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.91 R$4.55

180.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.43 R$12.11

103.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.18 R$40.85

144.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.39 R$6.95

100.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.90 R$9.49

85.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.12 R$5.59

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$50.4 R$252

43.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.51 R$7.56

48.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.62 R$8.10

-4.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$18.35 R$91.6

-51.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.27 R$6.32

23.62%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$23.9K R$119.1K

-8.64%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.1K R$165.2K

4.69%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$104 R$518

-9.95%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$12.45 R$62.1

182.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$22.68 R$113

127.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$29.14 R$145

145.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$56.9 R$284

-37.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$9.03 R$45.06

-13.18%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$277 R$1,385

76.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$10.4K R$51.9K

14.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$56.1 R$280

-4.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$36.85 R$184

51.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$97.5 R$486

-18.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$60.1 R$300

31.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$536 R$2,677

46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$422 R$2,106

84.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$988 R$4,933

290.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$710 R$3,547

98.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,477 R$12.4K

181.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,794 R$8,955

-33.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$585 R$2,922

49.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.79

-32.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Santos: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Santos

$422 36.7% 45.9% $358

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Santos

$221 19.2% 36.9% $129

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Santos

$145 12.6% 30.7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Santos

$139 12.1% 22.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Santos

$113 9.8% 6.3% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santos

$47 4.1% 45.8% $40

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santos

$65 5.6% 25.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $536 in Santos. 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 50% 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 $33.00 in Santos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $221 – making Santos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Santos

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

418,608

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santos 5,700 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santos

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 Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,132 in Santos – roughly 62% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,698 in Santos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 43% less in Santos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $277 in Santos. 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 Santos, where all-in costs run around $1,132, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Santos 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 $1,132 in Santos 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 Santos. 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.