Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: $834 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
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Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇧🇷 Brazil

$834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $834 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $834

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,291 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,291

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,748 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,748

Nosara costs about 120% more than Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.48 R$22.69

175.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$27.08 R$137

125.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.20 R$46.62

-18.26%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.38 R$12.08

85.29%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.27 R$6.46

37.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.75 R$3.78

74.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.05 R$10.41

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.55 R$18.01

25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.94 R$4.76

65.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.77 R$8.99

70.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.22 R$6.18

105.74%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.14 R$10.84

66.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.83 R$34.64

8.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.17 R$21.13

152.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.77 R$34.32

106.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.42 R$12.25

-2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.11 R$5.61

45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.79 R$4.00

507.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.39 R$7.05

15.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.30 R$6.60

192.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.21 R$6.11

204.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.99 R$5.01

14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.63 R$3.18

322.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.02 R$10.22

156.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.09 R$35.93

180.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.13 R$5.73

156.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.36 R$11.96

53.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.08 R$5.50

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$30.12 R$153

141.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.57 R$2.89

275.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.74 R$3.75

112.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.93 R$35.12

22.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.20 R$6.10

26.67%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.7K R$120.0K

-8.70%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.8K R$161.0K

8.66%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$64.9 R$329

48.34%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$13.65 R$69.2

162.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$18.80 R$95.3

185.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$22.45 R$114

218.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$19.71 R$99.9

77.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.90 R$19.79

102.31%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$276 R$1,400

78.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,019 R$40.7K

47.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$64.7 R$328

-16.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$57.5 R$291

-3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$90.8 R$460

-14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$45.32 R$230

75.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$435 R$2,204

81.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$261 R$1,322

204.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$615 R$3,115

541.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$459 R$2,324

209.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,234 R$11.3K

209.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$843 R$4,273

45.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$532 R$2,699

62.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.23

4.74%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$261 31.3% 67.2% $533

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$173 20.8% 50.8% $179

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$117 14.1% 44.6% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$97 11.7% 47.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$116 13.9% 3.2% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$30 3.6% 65.4% $57

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$39 4.6% 55.5% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $435 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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 62% 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 $27.00 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $173 – making Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🕒 Local time

23:53 11:53 PM

02:53 2:53 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

480,393

💱 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 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $834 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP – roughly 120% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,251 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 141% less in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $276 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 $834 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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.