Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Varginha

For one person, living is cheaper in Varginha: $746 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Varginha
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Varginha Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Varginha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Varginha

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $746 in Varginha, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Varginha $746

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,182 in Varginha, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Varginha $1,182

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,618 in Varginha, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Varginha $1,618

Nosara costs about 146% more than Varginha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Varginha is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$9.05 R$45.88

36.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$24.23 R$123

153.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$7.18 R$36.37

8.08%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$0.99 R$5.02

348.48%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.92 R$4.66

94.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.62 R$3.17

108.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.42 R$7.21

128.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.65 R$18.50

21.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.94 R$4.75

64.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.61 R$8.16

91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.02 R$5.16

148.04%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.48 R$7.50

133.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$9.25 R$46.90

-20.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$3.71 R$18.79

176.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$8.88 R$45.00

58.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.38 R$6.98

65.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.36 R$6.89

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.02 R$5.16

369.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$0.97 R$4.92

69.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.98 R$4.98

292.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.01 R$5.14

271.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.51 R$2.61

113.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.68 R$3.46

280.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.15 R$10.92

138.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$4.98 R$25.22

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.14 R$5.76

145.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.84 R$9.34

91.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.95 R$4.82

28.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$44.89 R$228

64.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.02 R$5.19

112.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.76 R$3.88

105.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$6.51 R$33.01

33.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.11 R$5.61

39.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.0K R$121.8K

43.76%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$29.3K R$148.8K

32.05%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$104 R$527

-8.70%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$4.91 R$24.91

636.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$20.00 R$101

165.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$26.42 R$134

179.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$27.46 R$139

29.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$8.15 R$41.30

-2.94%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$219 R$1,109

124.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,400 R$22.3K

170.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$36.49 R$185

50.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$60.3 R$305

-7.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$80.7 R$409

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.6 R$307

28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$149 R$757

436.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$120 R$611

555.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$274 R$1,391

1359.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$259 R$1,310

445.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,677 R$8,503

321.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,204 R$6,104

2.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$453 R$2,297

95.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-13.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Varginha: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Varginha

$120 16.2% 84.7% $669

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Varginha

$167 22.4% 52.3% $183

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Varginha

$126 16.9% 40.6% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Varginha

$129 17.3% 30% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Varginha

$107 14.4% 11.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Varginha

$43 5.7% 52.3% $47

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Varginha

$54 7.2% 39.7% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $149 in Varginha. 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 96% 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 $24.00 in Varginha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $167 – making Varginha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Varginha

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

00:24 12:24 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

136,467

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Varginha 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Varginha

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 Varginha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $746 in Varginha – roughly 146% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,119 in Varginha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 65% less in Varginha. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $219 in Varginha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Varginha, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Varginha 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 $746 in Varginha 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 Varginha. 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.