Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between São Gabriel and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in São Gabriel: $842 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in São Gabriel
Learn more

São Gabriel Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

São Gabriel

🇧🇷 Brazil

$842

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $842 per month in São Gabriel vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

São Gabriel $842
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,371 per month in São Gabriel vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

São Gabriel $1,371
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,901 per month in São Gabriel vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

São Gabriel $1,901
Nosara $3,814

São Gabriel is about 54% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

São Gabriel sits 38% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.66 R$28.70

$12.34 ₡5,535

-54.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.73 R$206

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-33.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 R$35.76

$7.76 ₡3,481

-9.15%

Cappuccino

$1.18 R$5.96

$4.44 ₡1,992

-73.42%

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

$1.37 R$6.96

$1.79 ₡803

-23.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 R$5.19

$1.29 ₡580

-20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 R$6.98

$3.24 ₡1,451

-57.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 R$15.10

$4.43 ₡1,985

-32.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 R$4.63

$1.55 ₡696

-41.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 R$8.24

$3.08 ₡1,380

-47.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.48

$2.53 ₡1,133

-57.31%

Eggs

$1.42 R$7.22

$3.45 ₡1,546

-58.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 R$51.5

$7.32 ₡3,284

38.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 R$25.16

$10.24 ₡4,594

-51.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.87

$14.10 ₡6,326

-30.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.92

$2.29 ₡1,027

-48.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.58

$1.64 ₡737

-9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.19

$4.79 ₡2,149

-78.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 R$3.86

$1.64 ₡735

-53.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$3.85 ₡1,727

-68.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 R$3.95

$3.75 ₡1,681

-79.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 R$4.44

$1.09 ₡488

-19.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R$4.50

$2.59 ₡1,160

-65.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 R$8.92

$5.12 ₡2,295

-65.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.06 R$20.58

$19.92 ₡8,931

-79.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R$5.71

$2.80 ₡1,255

-59.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 R$8.25

$3.52 ₡1,580

-53.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.23

$1.22 ₡549

-15.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.73 R$227

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-39.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.51

$2.17 ₡973

-41.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.13

$1.56 ₡698

-48.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 R$42.79

$8.67 ₡3,886

-2.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.74

$1.55 ₡697

-14.19%

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

$23.4K R$118.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-32.33%

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

$34.4K R$174.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-11.24%

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

$75.5 R$382

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-20.43%

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

$12.49 R$63.3

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-65.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.98 R$111

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-58.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.34 R$134

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-64.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.73 R$141

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-22.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 R$36.51

$7.91 ₡3,548

-8.98%

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

$281 R$1,425

$490 ₡219.9K

-42.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,317 R$37.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-38.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 R$261

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-6.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 R$133

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-53.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R$519

$80.4 ₡36.0K

27.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R$408

$77.9 ₡34.9K

3.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 R$1,772

$801 ₡359.1K

-56.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,204

$790 ₡354.1K

-69.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 R$3,482

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-82.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 R$2,411

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-66.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,740 R$8,819

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-75.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,189 R$6,025

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-3.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 São Gabriel: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

São Gabriel

$238 28.2%

Nosara

$790 43% 233% $552

Groceries & Markets

São Gabriel

$179 21.3%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 95% $170

Clothing & Footwear

São Gabriel

$117 13.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 3.2% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

São Gabriel

$110 13.1%

Nosara

$184 10% 67.4% $74

Eating Out

São Gabriel

$103 12.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 107% $110

Getting Around

São Gabriel

$54 6.4%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 63.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

São Gabriel

$41 4.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 120% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $350 in São Gabriel versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in São Gabriel versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $350 – making São Gabriel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 São Gabriel

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:55 2:55 PM

11:55 11:55 AM

3 h behind São Gabriel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,487

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 21, 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 21, 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

São Gabriel Nosara 5,590 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

São Gabriel
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

São Gabriel vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $842 in São Gabriel, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 118% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,263 per month in São Gabriel and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in São Gabriel, 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 São Gabriel. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $281 per month in São Gabriel and $490 in Nosara. 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 São Gabriel, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Nosara at $1,835. In São Gabriel 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 $842 in São Gabriel 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 São Gabriel. 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.