Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Praia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Praia: $1,202 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Praia
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Praia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Praia

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$1,202

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Praia vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Praia $1,202
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,804 per month in Praia vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Praia $1,804
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,407 per month in Praia vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Praia $2,407
Nosara $3,712

Praia is about 35% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Praia sits 10% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.10 CVE 502

$12.22 ₡5,509

-58.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.09 CVE 3,553

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-40.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 CVE 697

$7.54 ₡3,399

-6.10%

Cappuccino

$2.65 CVE 260

$4.31 ₡1,941

-38.52%

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

$1.60 CVE 157

$1.72 ₡773

-6.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 CVE 117

$1.35 ₡608

-11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 CVE 251

$3.24 ₡1,459

-21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 CVE 195

$4.48 ₡2,018

-55.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 CVE 137

$1.57 ₡707

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CVE 200

$3.17 ₡1,429

-35.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CVE 349

$2.42 ₡1,091

46.28%

Eggs

$2.36 CVE 232

$3.57 ₡1,609

-33.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.35 CVE 2,595

$7.43 ₡3,349

254.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 CVE 461

$10.42 ₡4,697

-55.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 CVE 1,634

$13.66 ₡6,156

21.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 CVE 503

$2.32 ₡1,044

120.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 CVE 292

$1.61 ₡728

84.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CVE 402

$4.74 ₡2,138

-13.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 CVE 427

$1.66 ₡747

160.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 CVE 146

$3.72 ₡1,679

-60.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 CVE 142

$3.57 ₡1,611

-59.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CVE 98.0

$1.10 ₡497

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CVE 147

$2.55 ₡1,149

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 CVE 521

$4.95 ₡2,232

6.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 CVE 820

$20.01 ₡9,020

-58.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 CVE 178

$2.79 ₡1,256

-35.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 CVE 177

$3.53 ₡1,589

-49.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 CVE 79.5

$1.19 ₡537

-31.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.32 CVE 2,887

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-59.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 CVE 173

$2.24 ₡1,011

-21.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CVE 120

$1.55 ₡701

-21.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 CVE 153

$1.57 ₡708

-1.27%

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

$29.1K CVE 2.9M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

33.52%

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

$37.4K CVE 3.7M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

8.10%

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

$178 CVE 17.5K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

90.74%

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

$18.15 CVE 1,787

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-48.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 CVE 5,000

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.07 CVE 3,158

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-55.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.98 CVE 983

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-71.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 CVE 551

$7.84 ₡3,535

-28.57%

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

$128 CVE 12.6K

$490 ₡220.7K

-73.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,146 CVE 309.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-73.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 CVE 6,094

$53.5 ₡24.1K

15.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 CVE 2,486

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-54.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 CVE 6,499

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-16.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 CVE 8,835

$78.9 ₡35.6K

13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 CVE 57.6K

$786 ₡354.3K

-25.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 CVE 28.7K

$780 ₡351.6K

-62.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 CVE 87.6K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-76.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 CVE 46.4K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-66.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,337 CVE 131.6K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-80.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$982 CVE 96.6K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-18.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 CVE 29.7K

$876 ₡395.0K

-65.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-7.19%

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

Last update for Praia: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Praia

$350 29.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 0.1% $0.5

Accommodation & Living

Praia

$291 24.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 168% $488

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Praia

$247 20.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 27.2% $67

Eating Out

Praia

$122 10.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 72.2% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Praia

$109 9.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 10.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Praia

$43 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 101% $44

Getting Around

Praia

$40 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 115% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $586 in Praia versus $786 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 190% 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 $36.00 in Praia versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $350 – making Praia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇻 Praia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

21:48 9:48 PM

5 h behind Praia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,832 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CVE = 10.16 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.06 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CVE – Cabo Verdean Escudo Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇻 Cabo Verdean Escudo ($)

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 98.45 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.06 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CVE in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Praia Nosara 6,750 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Praia
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

Praia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,202 in Praia, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,803 per month in Praia and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 146% less in Praia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $128 per month in Praia and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Praia, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Praia 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 $1,202 in Praia 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 Praia. 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.