Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Jose dos Campos and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose dos Campos: $1,050 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose dos Campos
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Sao Jose dos Campos Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sao Jose dos Campos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,050

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,050 per month in Sao Jose dos Campos vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Jose dos Campos $1,050
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,660 per month in Sao Jose dos Campos vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Jose dos Campos $1,660
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,270 per month in Sao Jose dos Campos vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Jose dos Campos $2,270
Nosara $3,712

Sao Jose dos Campos is about 43% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Jose dos Campos sits 22% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.08 R$35.33

$12.22 ₡5,509

-42.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.82 R$199

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-33.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 R$45.41

$7.54 ₡3,399

20.69%

Cappuccino

$2.30 R$11.46

$4.31 ₡1,941

-46.64%

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

$1.70 R$8.47

$1.72 ₡773

-1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.82

$1.35 ₡608

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R$14.35

$3.24 ₡1,459

-11.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 R$21.71

$4.48 ₡2,018

-2.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R$5.99

$1.57 ₡707

-23.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 R$10.36

$3.17 ₡1,429

-34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.96

$2.42 ₡1,091

-50.83%

Eggs

$2.70 R$13.48

$3.57 ₡1,609

-24.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 R$45.61

$7.43 ₡3,349

23.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 R$22.21

$10.42 ₡4,697

-57.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.75 R$53.7

$13.66 ₡6,156

-21.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 R$14.17

$2.32 ₡1,044

22.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 R$9.34

$1.61 ₡728

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.21

$4.74 ₡2,138

-61.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.38

$1.66 ₡747

13.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.13

$3.72 ₡1,679

-61.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.82

$3.57 ₡1,611

-61.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 R$4.72

$1.10 ₡497

-13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$3.99

$2.55 ₡1,149

-68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 R$14.08

$4.95 ₡2,232

-43.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 R$44.91

$20.01 ₡9,020

-55.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.66

$2.79 ₡1,256

-37.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 R$22.00

$3.53 ₡1,589

24.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 R$5.91

$1.19 ₡537

-0.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.37 R$192

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-46.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 R$6.72

$2.24 ₡1,011

-39.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 R$7.08

$1.55 ₡701

-8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.39 R$46.89

$8.86 ₡3,993

5.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.36

$1.57 ₡708

-19.11%

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

$23.9K R$119.1K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

9.43%

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

$33.8K R$168.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-2.30%

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

$43.80 R$219

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-53.13%

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

$14.25 R$71.1

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-59.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.34 R$91.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-64.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.98 R$150

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-58.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.77 R$174

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-1.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.92 R$39.53

$7.84 ₡3,535

1.02%

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

$433 R$2,161

$490 ₡220.7K

-11.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 R$38.5K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-35.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 R$283

$53.5 ₡24.1K

5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 R$298

$55.8 ₡25.1K

7.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 R$480

$79.3 ₡35.7K

21.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R$422

$78.9 ₡35.6K

7.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 R$2,421

$786 ₡354.3K

-38.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 R$1,802

$780 ₡351.6K

-53.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 R$4,864

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-74.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 R$3,317

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-52.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,085 R$10.4K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-70.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,498 R$7,477

$1,201 ₡541.3K

24.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 R$4,059

$876 ₡395.0K

-7.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

8.62

29.00%

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

Last update for Sao Jose dos Campos: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Jose dos Campos

$361 34.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 116% $419

Groceries & Markets

Sao Jose dos Campos

$228 21.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 53.1% $121

Eating Out

Sao Jose dos Campos

$146 14%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 43.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Jose dos Campos

$134 12.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 10% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Jose dos Campos

$76 7.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 136% $104

Getting Around

Sao Jose dos Campos

$52 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 68.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Jose dos Campos

$46 4.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 90.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Sao Jose dos Campos 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 8% 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 $40.00 in Sao Jose dos Campos versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $350 – making Sao Jose dos Campos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Jose dos Campos

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

23:57 11:57 PM

3 h behind Sao Jose dos Campos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

697,054

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 = 5.6 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Jose dos Campos Nosara 5,680 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Jose dos Campos
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 dos Campos vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,050 in Sao Jose dos Campos, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 75% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,575 per month in Sao Jose dos Campos 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 Jose dos Campos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 88% less in Sao Jose dos Campos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $433 per month in Sao Jose dos Campos 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 Jose dos Campos, where all-in costs run around $1,050, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sao Jose dos Campos 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 $1,050 in Sao Jose dos Campos 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 Jose dos Campos. 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.