Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: $834 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
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Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇧🇷 Brazil

$834

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $834 per month in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $834
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,291 per month in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,291
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,748 per month in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,748
Nosara $3,818

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP is about 55% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP sits 38% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 R$22.69

$12.35 ₡5,539

-63.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.08 R$137

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-55.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 R$46.62

$7.52 ₡3,373

22.34%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.08

$4.41 ₡1,978

-46.03%

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

$1.27 R$6.46

$1.74 ₡780

-27.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.78

$1.31 ₡587

-42.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 R$10.41

$3.28 ₡1,471

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 R$18.01

$4.47 ₡2,004

-20.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$4.76

$1.56 ₡701

-39.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 R$8.99

$3.02 ₡1,355

-41.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.18

$2.51 ₡1,125

-51.39%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.84

$3.57 ₡1,603

-40.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.83 R$34.64

$7.43 ₡3,333

-8.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 R$21.13

$10.52 ₡4,717

-60.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 R$34.32

$13.97 ₡6,265

-51.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 R$12.25

$2.35 ₡1,052

2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.61

$1.61 ₡720

-31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 R$4.00

$4.80 ₡2,152

-83.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.05

$1.61 ₡724

-13.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$3.80 ₡1,703

-65.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.11

$3.69 ₡1,657

-67.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 R$5.01

$1.13 ₡507

-12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.18

$2.66 ₡1,191

-76.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 R$10.22

$5.18 ₡2,321

-61.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 R$35.93

$19.88 ₡8,916

-64.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R$5.73

$2.90 ₡1,300

-61.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$11.96

$3.63 ₡1,626

-34.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 R$5.50

$1.12 ₡504

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.12 R$153

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-58.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 R$2.89

$2.14 ₡958

-73.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R$3.75

$1.57 ₡703

-52.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 R$35.12

$8.52 ₡3,823

-18.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.52 ₡682

-21.05%

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

$23.7K R$120.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

9.53%

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

$31.8K R$161.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-7.97%

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

$64.9 R$329

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-32.59%

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

$13.65 R$69.2

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-61.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 R$95.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-64.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.45 R$114

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-68.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.71 R$99.9

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-43.54%

Cinema Ticket

$3.90 R$19.79

$7.89 ₡3,539

-50.57%

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

$276 R$1,400

$494 ₡221.6K

-44.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,019 R$40.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-32.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 R$328

$53.9 ₡24.2K

20.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 R$291

$55.4 ₡24.8K

3.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 R$460

$77.9 ₡34.9K

16.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.32 R$230

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-43.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 R$2,204

$788 ₡353.4K

-44.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 R$1,322

$794 ₡356.2K

-67.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 R$3,115

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-84.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 R$2,324

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-67.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,234 R$11.3K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-67.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$843 R$4,273

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-31.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 R$2,699

$864 ₡387.3K

-38.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.23

8.62

-4.52%

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

Last update for Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$261 31.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 205% $533

Groceries & Markets

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$173 20.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 103% $179

Eating Out

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$117 14.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 80.4% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$116 13.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.3% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$97 11.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 90.8% $88

Getting Around

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$39 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 125% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$30 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 189% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $435 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 62% 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 $27.00 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $352 – making Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

22:13 10:13 PM

3 h behind Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

480,393

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 19, 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 19, 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

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Between locations

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP Nosara 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
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 Jose do Rio Preto SP vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $834 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 120% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,251 per month in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 141% less in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $276 per month in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP and $494 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 $834 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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.