Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Boa Vista and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $823 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Learn more

Sao Joao da Boa Vista Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$823

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $823 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $823
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,320 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,320
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,818 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,818
Nosara $3,818

Sao Joao da Boa Vista is about 55% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista sits 39% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.62 R$28.22

$12.35 ₡5,547

-54.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.03 R$116

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-62.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.45

$7.52 ₡3,377

-5.98%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R$10.29

$4.41 ₡1,981

-53.51%

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

$1.17 R$5.89

$1.74 ₡781

-32.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R$4.62

$1.31 ₡588

-29.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$9.94

$3.28 ₡1,473

-39.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R$10.32

$4.47 ₡2,007

-53.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.37

$1.56 ₡702

-31.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 R$8.23

$3.02 ₡1,357

-45.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.90

$2.51 ₡1,127

-60.96%

Eggs

$2.37 R$11.90

$3.57 ₡1,605

-33.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 R$50.2

$7.43 ₡3,338

34.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 R$25.09

$10.52 ₡4,724

-52.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 R$50.5

$13.97 ₡6,274

-27.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R$9.80

$2.35 ₡1,054

-17.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.88

$1.61 ₡721

-27.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.89

$4.80 ₡2,155

-79.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.85

$1.61 ₡725

-3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 R$4.15

$3.80 ₡1,706

-78.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.09

$3.69 ₡1,659

-78.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 R$3.90

$1.13 ₡507

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$3.87

$2.66 ₡1,193

-71.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 R$11.80

$5.18 ₡2,324

-54.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 R$30.55

$19.88 ₡8,929

-69.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.90

$2.90 ₡1,302

-59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R$9.93

$3.63 ₡1,628

-45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.38

$1.12 ₡505

-22.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.48 R$223

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-38.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 R$7.89

$2.14 ₡959

-26.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 R$7.87

$1.57 ₡704

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 R$41.10

$8.52 ₡3,828

-3.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.35

$1.52 ₡683

-29.61%

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

$19.8K R$99.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-8.44%

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

$33.3K R$166.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-3.61%

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

$95.3 R$478

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-1.02%

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

$9.88 R$49.55

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-72.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.70 R$98.8

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-63.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.59 R$143

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-60.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.76 R$159

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-9.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 R$27.56

$7.89 ₡3,544

-30.42%

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

$280 R$1,403

$494 ₡221.9K

-43.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K R$51.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-12.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 R$274

$53.9 ₡24.2K

1.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.79 R$190

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-31.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.3 R$258

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-34.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 R$304

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 R$1,753

$788 ₡353.9K

-55.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 R$1,018

$794 ₡356.7K

-74.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 R$3,402

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-82.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 R$2,333

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-67.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,581 R$7,931

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-77.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,031 R$5,175

$1,224 ₡549.8K

-15.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 R$3,307

$864 ₡387.8K

-23.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.79

8.62

48.38%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$203 24.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 292% $592

Groceries & Markets

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$193 23.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 82.8% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$125 15.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 48.7% $61

Eating Out

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$113 13.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 87.1% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$92 11.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 30.6% $28

Getting Around

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$57 7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 51.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$40 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 121% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $349 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 31% 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 $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $352 – making Sao Joao da Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

13:18 1:18 PM

3 h behind Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,547

4,912

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Joao da Boa Vista Nosara 5,530 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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 Joao da Boa Vista vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 124% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,234 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $280 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista and $494 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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.