Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Vicente and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Vicente: $888 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Sao Vicente
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Sao Vicente Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sao Vicente

🇧🇷 Brazil

$888

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $888 per month in Sao Vicente vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Vicente $888
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,469 per month in Sao Vicente vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Vicente $1,469
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,050 per month in Sao Vicente vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Vicente $2,050
Nosara $3,818

Sao Vicente is about 52% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Vicente sits 34% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.86 R$39.45

$12.35 ₡5,547

-36.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.59 R$179

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-41.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 R$36.11

$7.52 ₡3,377

-4.26%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R$11.46

$4.41 ₡1,981

-48.30%

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

$1.33 R$6.65

$1.74 ₡781

-23.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.44

$1.31 ₡588

-32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 R$11.93

$3.28 ₡1,473

-27.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 R$14.85

$4.47 ₡2,007

-33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.48

$1.56 ₡702

-30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 R$10.17

$3.02 ₡1,357

-32.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 R$6.98

$2.51 ₡1,127

-44.62%

Eggs

$2.51 R$12.59

$3.57 ₡1,605

-29.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 R$61.3

$7.43 ₡3,338

64.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 R$24.80

$10.52 ₡4,724

-53.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 R$49.03

$13.97 ₡6,274

-30.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$10.78

$2.35 ₡1,054

-8.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.55

$1.61 ₡721

-19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.05

$4.80 ₡2,155

-66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.57

$1.61 ₡725

-6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.63

$3.80 ₡1,706

-65.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.73

$3.69 ₡1,659

-63.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 R$4.59

$1.13 ₡507

-19.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.78

$2.66 ₡1,193

-64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 R$11.90

$5.18 ₡2,324

-54.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 R$40.39

$19.88 ₡8,929

-59.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R$7.79

$2.90 ₡1,302

-46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R$12.94

$3.63 ₡1,628

-28.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 R$5.34

$1.12 ₡505

-5.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.30 R$222

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-39.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$5.97

$2.14 ₡959

-44.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$3.91

$1.57 ₡704

-50.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.31 R$71.8

$8.52 ₡3,828

67.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 R$6.75

$1.52 ₡683

-11.18%

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

$24.3K R$121.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

12.25%

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

$33.1K R$166.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-4.18%

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

$67.3 R$337

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-30.16%

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

$14.88 R$74.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-58.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 R$115

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-57.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.90 R$99.9

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-72.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.61 R$129

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-26.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 R$39.98

$7.89 ₡3,544

1.01%

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

$279 R$1,398

$494 ₡221.9K

-43.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K R$51.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-13.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 R$281

$53.9 ₡24.2K

3.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.00 R$186

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-33.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 R$447

$77.9 ₡35.0K

14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.8 R$315

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 R$1,391

$788 ₡353.9K

-64.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 R$1,122

$794 ₡356.7K

-71.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 R$4,331

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-78.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,592

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-63.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,720 R$8,631

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-75.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,212 R$6,082

$1,224 ₡549.8K

-0.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$402 R$2,019

$864 ₡387.8K

-53.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.21

8.62

30.05%

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

Last update for Sao Vicente: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Vicente

$224 25.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 255% $571

Groceries & Markets

Sao Vicente

$221 24.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 59.6% $131

Eating Out

Sao Vicente

$139 15.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 52.9% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Vicente

$110 12.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Vicente

$105 11.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 76.7% $81

Getting Around

Sao Vicente

$54 6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 62.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Vicente

$36 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 144% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Sao Vicente 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 115% 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 $36.00 in Sao Vicente versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $352 – making Sao Vicente the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Vicente

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

13:25 1:25 PM

3 h behind Sao Vicente

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

329,911

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 Vicente Nosara 5,700 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $888 in Sao Vicente, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 107% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,332 per month in Sao Vicente 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 Vicente, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Sao Vicente. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Sao Vicente and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Vicente, where all-in costs run around $888, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sao Vicente 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 $888 in Sao Vicente 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 Vicente. 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.