Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto Alegre and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $196 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Porto Alegre

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$196

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Porto Alegre 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 Porto Alegre and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $196 per month in Porto Alegre vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Porto Alegre $196
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $413 per month in Porto Alegre vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Porto Alegre $413
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $629 per month in Porto Alegre vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Porto Alegre $629
Nosara $3,712

Porto Alegre is about 89% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Porto Alegre sits 85% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.08 STN 810

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-38.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 STN 121

$7.54 ₡3,399

-26.39%

Cappuccino

$2.55 STN 55.6

$4.31 ₡1,941

-40.84%

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

$1.08 STN 23.63

$1.72 ₡773

-37.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 STN 18.12

$1.35 ₡608

-38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 STN 48.11

$3.24 ₡1,459

-32.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 STN 44.73

$3.17 ₡1,429

-35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 STN 22.52

$2.42 ₡1,091

-57.44%

Eggs

$2.23 STN 48.67

$3.57 ₡1,609

-37.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.97 STN 415

$7.43 ₡3,349

155.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 STN 266

$13.66 ₡6,156

-10.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 STN 48.45

$4.95 ₡2,232

-55.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 STN 24.22

$2.79 ₡1,256

-60.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Porto Alegre: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Porto Alegre

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Porto Alegre

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Porto Alegre

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Porto Alegre

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Porto Alegre

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Porto Alegre

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Porto Alegre

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Porto Alegre versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $132 vs $350 – making Porto Alegre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇹 Porto Alegre

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

05:43 5:43 AM

6 h behind Porto Alegre

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

795

4,912

💱 Currency

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 STN = 4.58 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to STN – Sao Tome and Principe Dobra Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe Dobra (Db)

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 21.85 STN (100 STN = 4.58 USD). 1 EUR = 24.48 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to STN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Porto Alegre Nosara 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Porto Alegre
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

Porto Alegre vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $196 in Porto Alegre, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 837% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $294 per month in Porto Alegre and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Porto Alegre and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $196 in Porto Alegre and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 837%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Porto Alegre, where all-in costs run around $196, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Porto Alegre 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 $196 in Porto Alegre 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 Porto Alegre. 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.