Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sao Joao da Boa Vista

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $823 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Learn more

Sao Joao da Boa Vista Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sao Joao da Boa Vista

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 Joao da Boa Vista actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $823

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,320 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,320

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,818 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,818

Nosara costs about 124% more than Sao Joao da Boa Vista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Sao Joao da Boa Vista is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$5.62 R$28.22

119.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$23.03 R$116

165.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$7.07 R$35.45

6.36%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$2.05 R$10.29

115.12%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.17 R$5.89

48.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.92 R$4.62

42.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$1.98 R$9.94

65.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$2.06 R$10.32

116.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.07 R$5.37

45.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$1.64 R$8.23

84.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$0.98 R$4.90

156.12%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$2.37 R$11.90

50.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$10.01 R$50.2

-25.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$5.00 R$25.09

110.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$10.07 R$50.5

38.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$1.95 R$9.80

20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.17 R$5.88

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$0.97 R$4.89

394.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.56 R$7.85

3.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$0.83 R$4.15

357.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$0.81 R$4.09

355.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.78 R$3.90

44.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.77 R$3.87

245.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$2.35 R$11.80

120.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$6.09 R$30.55

226.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.18 R$5.90

145.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$1.98 R$9.93

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$0.87 R$4.38

28.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$44.48 R$223

63.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$1.57 R$7.89

36.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.57 R$7.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$8.19 R$41.10

4.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.07 R$5.35

42.06%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$19.8K R$99.3K

9.21%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.3K R$166.9K

3.75%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$95.3 R$478

1.03%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.88 R$49.55

263.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$19.70 R$98.8

172.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$28.59 R$143

150.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$31.76 R$159

9.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$5.49 R$27.56

43.72%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$280 R$1,403

76.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.3K R$51.8K

14.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$54.6 R$274

-1.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$37.79 R$190

46.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$51.3 R$258

51.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$60.7 R$304

31.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$349 R$1,753

125.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$203 R$1,018

291.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$678 R$3,402

480.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$465 R$2,333

205.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,581 R$7,931

337.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$1,031 R$5,175

18.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$659 R$3,307

31.02%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$203 24.7% 74.5% $592

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$193 23.4% 45.3% $160

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$113 13.8% 46.6% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$125 15.2% 32.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$92 11.2% 23.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$40 4.8% 54.7% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$57 7% 34.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $349 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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 31% 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 $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $193 – making Sao Joao da Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

17:02 5:02 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

92,547

💱 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista 5,530 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sao Joao da Boa Vista

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 Joao da Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista – roughly 124% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,234 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 63% less in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $280 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Joao da Boa Vista. 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.