Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sao Caetano do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,058 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sao Caetano do Sul

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 Sao Caetano do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,058

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,822 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,822

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,586 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sao Caetano do Sul $2,586

Nosara costs about 74% more than Sao Caetano do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Sao Caetano do Sul is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$8.89 R$44.60

38.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$40.00 R$201

52.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$8.77 R$44.01

-14.25%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$2.38 R$11.96

85.29%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.33 R$6.66

30.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.93 R$4.66

40.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$2.36 R$11.82

38.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$4.00 R$20.06

11.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.19 R$5.95

31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$2.05 R$10.30

47.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.44 R$7.23

74.31%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$2.48 R$12.43

43.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$10.70 R$53.7

-30.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$5.43 R$27.26

93.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$10.91 R$54.8

28.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$2.39 R$11.98

-1.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.72 R$8.65

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$1.55 R$7.76

209.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$2.08 R$10.43

-22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.40 R$7.02

171.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$1.26 R$6.34

192.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.92 R$4.62

22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.81 R$4.08

228.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$2.49 R$12.49

108.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$8.97 R$44.99

121.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.75 R$8.79

65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$2.58 R$12.92

40.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$0.68 R$3.43

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$1.32 R$6.64

62.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.02 R$5.13

53.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$8.86 R$44.47

-3.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.34 R$6.72

13.43%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.5K R$123.1K

-11.94%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.6K R$163.4K

5.96%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$103 R$517

-6.48%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.91 R$74.8

140.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$22.99 R$115

133.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$50.3 R$253

42.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$46.01 R$231

-24.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$10.14 R$50.9

-22.19%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$437 R$2,192

13.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.2K R$56.1K

6.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$65.3 R$328

-17.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$57.3 R$288

-3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$98.3 R$493

-20.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$93.2 R$467

-14.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$419 R$2,104

87.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$311 R$1,559

155.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$867 R$4,349

354.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$868 R$4,353

63.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,890 R$9,483

265.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$1,435 R$7,201

-14.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$951 R$4,773

-9.22%

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 Sao Caetano do Sul: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$311 29.4% 60.9% $484

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$231 21.8% 34.5% $121

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 14.6% 26.9% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.3% 24.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.4% 17.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$71 6.7% 19.2% $17

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.2 * 0.9% 89.5% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul. 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 10% higher in Sao Caetano do Sul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $231 – making Sao Caetano do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🕒 Local time

14:10 2:10 PM

17:10 5:10 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

165,655

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sao Caetano do Sul 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sao Caetano do Sul

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 Sao Caetano do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul – roughly 74% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,588 in Sao Caetano do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Caetano do Sul, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sao Caetano do Sul 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 $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul. 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.