Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ubatuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubatuba: $855 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Ubatuba
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Ubatuba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ubatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ubatuba

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $855 in Ubatuba, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Ubatuba $855

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,360 in Ubatuba, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Ubatuba $1,360

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,865 in Ubatuba, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Ubatuba $1,865

Nosara costs about 115% more than Ubatuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Ubatuba is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.59 R$38.48

62.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$29.05 R$147

110.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.09 R$25.78

47.74%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.46 R$7.40

202.05%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.29 R$6.52

34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.93 R$4.72

40.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.43 R$12.32

34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.92 R$19.85

14.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.06 R$5.38

47.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.85 R$9.37

63.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.39 R$7.04

80.58%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.51 R$12.73

42.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$2.97 R$15.06

150.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.06 R$20.58

159.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.22 R$41.69

69.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.63 R$8.24

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.23 R$6.24

30.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.18 R$5.97

306.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.40 R$7.11

15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.17 R$5.95

224.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.19 R$6.02

210.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.93 R$4.74

21.51%

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

$2.55 R$12.90

103.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.08 R$40.96

146.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.58 R$8.03

83.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.62 R$13.27

38.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.01 R$5.13

10.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.22 R$6.19

75.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.73 R$3.72

115.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.73 R$44.27

-2.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.29 R$6.56

17.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.1K R$122.1K

-10.30%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.8K R$166.1K

5.32%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$66.0 R$334

45.94%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.01 R$45.69

298.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.76 R$100

171.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$11.94 R$60.5

499.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.81 R$39.58

1.02%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$438 R$2,223

12.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.1K R$56.4K

6.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$64.7 R$328

-16.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$56.4 R$286

-1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$89.3 R$453

-12.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$79.8 R$405

-0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$396 R$2,007

99.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$298 R$1,512

166.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$816 R$4,135

382.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$612 R$3,102

131.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,797 R$9,110

284.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$385 R$1,952

124.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.81

-20.26%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ubatuba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ubatuba

$298 34.9% 62.4% $496

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ubatuba

$172 20.2% 51.1% $180

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ubatuba

$122 14.3% 42.2% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ubatuba

$95 11.1% 49% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ubatuba

$131 15.3% 8.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ubatuba

$28 3.2% 68.5% $60

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ubatuba

$8.9 * 1.1% 89.7% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $396 in Ubatuba. 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 124% 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 $29.00 in Ubatuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $172 – making Ubatuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Ubatuba

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

01:09 1:09 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

92,981

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Ubatuba 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ubatuba

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 Ubatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $855 in Ubatuba – roughly 115% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,282 in Ubatuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $29.00 in Ubatuba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 104% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubatuba, where all-in costs run around $855, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ubatuba 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 $855 in Ubatuba 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 Ubatuba. 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.