Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Teresina

For one person, living is cheaper in Teresina: $750 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Teresina
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Teresina Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Teresina

🇧🇷 Brazil

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Teresina

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $750 in Teresina, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Teresina $750

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,236 in Teresina, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Teresina $1,236

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,722 in Teresina, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Teresina $1,722

Nosara costs about 145% more than Teresina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Teresina is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$5.85 R$29.18

108.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$20.37 R$102

195.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.21 R$30.98

21.42%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.14 R$10.69

101.40%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.09 R$5.44

57.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.76 R$3.81

77.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.54 R$7.66

110.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.18 R$15.88

40.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.50 R$7.48

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.31 R$11.55

37.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.47 R$7.35

64.63%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.45 R$22.21

-19.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.83 R$39.08

-5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.29 R$21.42

142.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$6.70 R$33.45

103.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.95 R$9.74

18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.96 R$4.79

67.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$0.95 R$4.76

398.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.30 R$6.51

27.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.12 R$5.57

232.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.96 R$4.78

271.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.54 R$2.72

103.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.47 R$7.34

73.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.29 R$16.42

50.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$9.73 R$48.59

105.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.42 R$7.07

96.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.95 R$14.71

19.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.98 R$4.90

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$45.52 R$227

58.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.63 R$8.15

37.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.77 R$3.86

101.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$8.15 R$40.68

8.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.17 R$5.86

34.19%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$23.8K R$118.6K

-8.22%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$32.0K R$159.7K

8.23%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$77.3 R$386

20.85%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$10.68 R$53.3

228.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$17.75 R$88.6

190.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$21.47 R$107

232.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$13.12 R$65.5

170.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.80 R$38.95

0.51%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$575 R$2,871

-14.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$7,241 R$36.1K

64.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$44.08 R$220

21.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$29.68 R$148

87.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$76.2 R$380

3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$50.4 R$252

56.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$166 R$828

373.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$151 R$755

415.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$413 R$2,063

834.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$431 R$2,150

226.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,388 R$6,927

402.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$765 R$3,817

57.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$402 R$2,004

118.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-21.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Teresina: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Teresina

$151 19.8% 80.6% $629

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Teresina

$210 27.6% 39.9% $139

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Teresina

$113 14.8% 46.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Teresina

$106 13.9% 41.3% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Teresina

$90 11.8% 25.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Teresina

$37 4.9% 57.4% $50

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Teresina

$55 7.2% 36.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $166 in Teresina. 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 118% 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 $20.00 in Teresina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $210 – making Teresina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Teresina

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

05:44 5:44 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

866,300

💱 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 Teresina 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Teresina

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 Teresina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $750 in Teresina – roughly 145% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,125 in Teresina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 58% less in Teresina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $575 in Teresina. 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 Teresina, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Teresina 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 $750 in Teresina 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 Teresina. 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.