Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $1,003 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,003

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Sao Carlos vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,003
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,742 per month in Sao Carlos vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,742
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,480 per month in Sao Carlos vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Carlos $2,480
Nosara $3,712

Sao Carlos is about 45% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Carlos sits 25% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.15 R$25.69

$12.22 ₡5,509

-57.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.83 R$204

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-32.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 R$35.74

$7.54 ₡3,399

-5.04%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.42

$4.31 ₡1,941

-51.51%

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

$1.35 R$6.74

$1.72 ₡773

-21.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.75

$1.35 ₡608

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 R$8.14

$3.24 ₡1,459

-49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.70

$4.48 ₡2,018

-38.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 R$6.81

$1.57 ₡707

-12.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$9.83

$3.17 ₡1,429

-37.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R$9.32

$2.42 ₡1,091

-22.73%

Eggs

$2.88 R$14.36

$3.57 ₡1,609

-19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 R$63.0

$7.43 ₡3,349

69.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 R$27.04

$10.42 ₡4,697

-47.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 R$47.59

$13.66 ₡6,156

-30.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 R$13.40

$2.32 ₡1,044

15.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.50

$1.61 ₡728

18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.04

$4.74 ₡2,138

-61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 R$9.55

$1.66 ₡747

15.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.34

$3.72 ₡1,679

-55.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.14

$3.57 ₡1,611

-59.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R$4.87

$1.10 ₡497

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R$5.80

$2.55 ₡1,149

-54.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 R$15.74

$4.95 ₡2,232

-36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 R$42.96

$20.01 ₡9,020

-56.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R$7.32

$2.79 ₡1,256

-47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.75

$3.53 ₡1,589

-16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.19 ₡537

-15.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.73 R$118

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-67.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 R$7.42

$2.24 ₡1,011

-33.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 R$4.86

$1.55 ₡701

-37.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 R$18.16

$8.86 ₡3,993

-58.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.08

$1.57 ₡708

-22.29%

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-6.41%

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

$31.9K R$159.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-7.92%

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

$63.2 R$316

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-32.36%

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

$13.95 R$69.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-60.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.86 R$124

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-51.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 R$170

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-52.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.34 R$241

$35.44 ₡16.0K

36.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 R$27.07

$7.84 ₡3,535

-30.87%

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

$297 R$1,481

$490 ₡220.7K

-39.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,987 R$14.9K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-74.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 R$421

$53.5 ₡24.1K

57.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.3 R$486

$55.8 ₡25.1K

74.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 R$693

$79.3 ₡35.7K

75.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 R$819

$78.9 ₡35.6K

107.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 R$1,336

$786 ₡354.3K

-65.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 R$1,172

$780 ₡351.6K

-69.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 R$3,349

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-82.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 R$3,300

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-53.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 R$4,237

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-87.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 R$3,744

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-37.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$693 R$3,460

$876 ₡395.0K

-20.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

8.62

24.71%

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

Last update for Sao Carlos: 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

Sao Carlos

$244 24.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 43.4% $106

Accommodation & Living

Sao Carlos

$235 23.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 232% $545

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 44.8% $98

Eating Out

Sao Carlos

$110 11.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 90.8% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Carlos

$102 10.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 76.5% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Carlos

$45 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 93.7% $42

Getting Around

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 154% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $268 in Sao Carlos 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 26% 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 $41.00 in Sao Carlos versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $350 – making Sao Carlos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

06:24 6:24 AM

3 h behind Sao Carlos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

254,857

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 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 BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Carlos Nosara 5,440 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Carlos
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

Sao Carlos vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,003 in Sao Carlos, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,505 per month in Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 204% less in Sao Carlos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sao Carlos 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 $1,003 in Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos. 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.