Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sao Vicente

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Vicente: $888 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Sao Vicente
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Sao Vicente Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sao Vicente

🇧🇷 Brazil

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sao Vicente

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $888 in Sao Vicente, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sao Vicente $888

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,469 in Sao Vicente, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sao Vicente $1,469

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,050 in Sao Vicente, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sao Vicente $2,050

Nosara costs about 107% more than Sao Vicente, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Sao Vicente is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$7.86 R$39.45

57.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$35.59 R$179

71.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$7.20 R$36.11

4.44%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$2.28 R$11.46

93.42%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.33 R$6.65

30.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.88 R$4.44

48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$2.38 R$11.93

37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$2.96 R$14.85

51.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.09 R$5.48

43.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$2.03 R$10.17

48.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.39 R$6.98

80.58%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$2.51 R$12.59

42.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$12.22 R$61.3

-39.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$4.94 R$24.80

112.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$9.77 R$49.03

42.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$2.15 R$10.78

9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.30 R$6.55

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$1.60 R$8.05

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.51 R$7.57

6.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.32 R$6.63

187.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$1.34 R$6.73

175.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.91 R$4.59

24.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.95 R$4.78

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$2.37 R$11.90

118.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$8.05 R$40.39

146.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.55 R$7.79

87.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$2.58 R$12.94

40.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.06 R$5.34

5.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$44.30 R$222

63.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$1.19 R$5.97

79.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$0.78 R$3.91

101.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$14.31 R$71.8

-40.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.35 R$6.75

12.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.3K R$121.7K

-10.91%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.1K R$166.0K

4.36%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$67.3 R$337

43.18%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.88 R$74.7

141.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$23.01 R$115

132.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$19.90 R$99.9

259.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$25.61 R$129

36.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$7.97 R$39.98

-1.00%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$279 R$1,398

77.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.3K R$51.5K

15.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$56.0 R$281

-3.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$37.00 R$186

49.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$89.0 R$447

-12.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$62.8 R$315

26.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$277 R$1,391

184.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$224 R$1,122

255.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$863 R$4,331

356.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$517 R$2,592

174.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,720 R$8,631

301.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$1,212 R$6,082

0.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$402 R$2,019

114.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.21

-23.10%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Vicente: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sao Vicente

$224 25.2% 71.8% $571

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sao Vicente

$221 24.9% 37.3% $131

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sao Vicente

$139 15.6% 34.6% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sao Vicente

$105 11.8% 43.4% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sao Vicente

$110 12.4% 8.3% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sao Vicente

$36 4% 59% $52

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sao Vicente

$54 6% 38.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $277 in Sao Vicente. 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 115% 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 $36.00 in Sao Vicente. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $221 – making Sao Vicente the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Sao Vicente

🕒 Local time

14:09 2:09 PM

17:09 5:09 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

329,911

💱 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 Vicente 5,700 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sao Vicente

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 Vicente: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $888 in Sao Vicente – roughly 107% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,332 in Sao Vicente. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 64% less in Sao Vicente. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $279 in Sao Vicente. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Vicente, where all-in costs run around $888, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sao Vicente 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 $888 in Sao Vicente 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 Vicente. 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.