Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pelotas and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Pelotas: $759 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Pelotas
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Pelotas Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Pelotas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$759

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pelotas and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pelotas and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $759 per month in Pelotas vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Pelotas $759
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,178 per month in Pelotas vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Pelotas $1,178
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,598 per month in Pelotas vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Pelotas $1,598
Nosara $3,818

Pelotas is about 59% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pelotas sits 44% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 R$31.21

$12.35 ₡5,539

-50.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.70 R$89.7

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-71.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 R$33.78

$7.52 ₡3,373

-11.44%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.64

$4.41 ₡1,978

-43.54%

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

$1.35 R$6.86

$1.74 ₡780

-22.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.65

$1.31 ₡587

-45.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 R$7.41

$3.28 ₡1,471

-55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 R$7.87

$4.47 ₡2,004

-65.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.47

$1.56 ₡701

-43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R$6.03

$3.02 ₡1,355

-60.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.61

$2.51 ₡1,125

-63.75%

Eggs

$2.31 R$11.69

$3.57 ₡1,603

-35.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 R$51.5

$7.43 ₡3,333

36.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 R$23.91

$10.52 ₡4,717

-55.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$49.37

$13.97 ₡6,265

-30.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.35 ₡1,052

5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.01

$1.61 ₡720

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.11

$4.80 ₡2,152

-70.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.19

$1.61 ₡724

-24.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.15

$3.80 ₡1,703

-68.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.98

$3.69 ₡1,657

-73.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 R$4.41

$1.13 ₡507

-23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 R$2.59

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 R$12.08

$5.18 ₡2,321

-54.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.50 R$38.01

$19.88 ₡8,916

-62.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.44

$2.90 ₡1,300

-76.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.14

$3.63 ₡1,626

-72.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.12 ₡504

9.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 R$266

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-27.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 R$6.66

$2.14 ₡958

-38.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R$4.03

$1.57 ₡703

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 R$41.92

$8.52 ₡3,823

-2.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.52 ₡682

-15.79%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

8.89%

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

$33.8K R$171.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-2.06%

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

$77.7 R$394

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-19.26%

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

$7.73 R$39.19

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-78.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.15 R$102

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-62.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.80 R$100

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-72.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 R$102

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-42.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 R$25.08

$7.89 ₡3,539

-37.26%

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

$573 R$2,902

$494 ₡221.6K

15.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K R$122.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

103.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.20 R$178

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-34.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.28 R$154

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-45.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 R$307

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 R$410

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,202

$788 ₡353.4K

-69.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 R$843

$794 ₡356.2K

-79.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 R$1,978

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-90.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 R$1,603

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-77.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,579 R$8,004

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-77.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$802 R$4,065

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-34.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$460 R$2,331

$864 ₡387.3K

-46.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

8.62

33.41%

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

Last update for Pelotas: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pelotas

$184 24.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 91.8% $169

Accommodation & Living

Pelotas

$166 21.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 378% $628

Eating Out

Pelotas

$118 15.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 79.7% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pelotas

$106 13.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 75.9% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Pelotas

$93 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 28.9% $27

Getting Around

Pelotas

$63 8.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 39% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Pelotas

$30 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 194% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Pelotas versus $788 in Nosara. 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 88% 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 $18.00 in Pelotas versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $352 – making Pelotas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Pelotas

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

10:46 10:46 AM

3 h behind Pelotas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,685

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pelotas Nosara 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Pelotas
Nosara

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

Pelotas vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $759 in Pelotas, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 142% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,139 per month in Pelotas and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 38% less in Pelotas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $573 per month in Pelotas and $494 in Nosara. 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 Pelotas, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pelotas 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 $759 in Pelotas 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 Pelotas. 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.