Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Timbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Timbo: $764 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Timbo
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Timbo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Timbo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Timbo

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $764 in Timbo, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Timbo $764

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,250 in Timbo, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Timbo $1,250

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,737 in Timbo, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Timbo $1,737

Nosara costs about 140% more than Timbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Timbo is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$4.90 R$24.82

151.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$39.89 R$202

53.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$3.93 R$19.90

97.46%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.05 R$10.41

116.59%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.07 R$5.44

67.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.71 R$3.60

81.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.89 R$9.57

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.35 R$11.93

88.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.93 R$4.69

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.47 R$7.47

109.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$0.93 R$4.72

172.04%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.80 R$9.11

91.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$7.84 R$39.76

-6.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$3.60 R$18.24

184.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$7.74 R$39.26

82.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.83 R$9.29

25.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$0.72 R$3.65

127.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$0.83 R$4.20

477.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.34 R$6.81

22.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.86 R$4.35

347.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$0.78 R$3.96

380.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.63 R$3.18

73.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.83 R$4.20

212.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$1.63 R$8.25

214.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$4.99 R$25.28

299.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.12 R$5.68

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.06 R$10.44

70.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.03 R$5.24

18.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$44.44 R$225

66.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.31 R$6.65

65.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.83 R$4.20

87.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$6.11 R$30.95

41.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.02 R$5.19

51.96%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.8K R$115.7K

51.42%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$27.3K R$138.4K

41.98%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$57.6 R$292

64.65%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$12.86 R$65.2

181.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$23.62 R$120

124.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$25.78 R$131

186.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$27.38 R$139

30.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$5.84 R$29.62

35.45%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$238 R$1,204

106.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,918 R$14.8K

307.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$31.48 R$160

74.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$40.18 R$204

39.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$59.2 R$300

35.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$49.89 R$253

56.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$351 R$1,781

127.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$241 R$1,223

227.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$662 R$3,354

505.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$477 R$2,419

195.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,726 R$8,751

309.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,213 R$6,151

1.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$713 R$3,613

24.40%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Timbo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Timbo

$241 31.6% 69.5% $548

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Timbo

$159 20.9% 54.4% $190

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Timbo

$97 12.7% 54.5% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Timbo

$94 12.3% 48.9% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Timbo

$81 10.6% 32.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Timbo

$37 4.9% 58.2% $52

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Timbo

$54 7.1% 39.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $351 in Timbo. 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 24% 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 $40.00 in Timbo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $159 – making Timbo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Timbo

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

13:50 1:50 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

46,099

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Timbo 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Timbo

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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $764 in Timbo – roughly 140% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,147 in Timbo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 66% less in Timbo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $238 in Timbo. 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 Timbo, where all-in costs run around $764, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Timbo 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 $764 in Timbo to $1,835 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 Timbo. 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.