Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,794 in Aarau, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,794 per month in Aarau vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Aarau $2,794
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in Aarau vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Aarau $4,568
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,342 per month in Aarau vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Aarau $6,342
Nosara $3,818

Aarau costs about 52% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Aarau and Nosara sit above the global median – Aarau by 107%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.07 CHF 23.94

$12.35 ₡5,539

135.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 87.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

73.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.63 CHF 14.52

$7.52 ₡3,373

134.44%

Cappuccino

$5.80 CHF 4.78

$4.41 ₡1,978

31.52%

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

$5.22 CHF 4.30

$1.74 ₡780

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$1.31 ₡587

258.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 CHF 5.06

$3.28 ₡1,471

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.44

$4.47 ₡2,004

47.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$1.56 ₡701

31.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 CHF 2.98

$3.02 ₡1,355

19.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.13

$2.51 ₡1,125

3.19%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.95

$3.57 ₡1,603

102.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.30 CHF 24.96

$7.43 ₡3,333

307.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$10.52 ₡4,717

178.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 33.19

$13.97 ₡6,265

188.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.38

$2.35 ₡1,052

22.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$1.61 ₡720

10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$4.80 ₡2,152

-49.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$1.61 ₡724

241.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$3.80 ₡1,703

-56.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$3.69 ₡1,657

-46.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$1.13 ₡507

101.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.98

$2.66 ₡1,191

-55.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 CHF 8.94

$5.18 ₡2,321

109.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 CHF 8.41

$19.88 ₡8,916

-48.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$2.90 ₡1,300

-14.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$3.63 ₡1,626

-21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 CHF 4.20

$1.12 ₡504

356.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 CHF 120

$72.6 ₡32.6K

101.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.64

$2.14 ₡958

219.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.74

$1.57 ₡703

111.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.8 CHF 48.45

$8.52 ₡3,823

590.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.52 ₡682

46.05%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

98.65%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

13.80%

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

$120 CHF 98.9

$96.3 ₡43.2K

24.73%

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

$30.84 CHF 25.40

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-14.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.84

$53.6 ₡24.0K

3.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 CHF 80.6

$71.6 ₡32.1K

36.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.6 CHF 49.04

$34.91 ₡15.7K

70.58%

Cinema Ticket

$21.42 CHF 17.64

$7.89 ₡3,539

171.48%

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

$3,152 CHF 2,596

$494 ₡221.6K

537.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

173.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 CHF 73.0

$53.9 ₡24.2K

64.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CHF 58.2

$55.4 ₡24.8K

27.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 90.1

$77.9 ₡34.9K

40.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 CHF 140

$79.6 ₡35.7K

112.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 CHF 1,052

$788 ₡353.4K

62.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 CHF 851

$794 ₡356.2K

30.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 CHF 1,886

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-41.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 CHF 1,742

$1,419 ₡636.5K

48.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,759

$1,224 ₡549.0K

868.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,801 CHF 5,601

$864 ₡387.3K

687.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

8.62

-73.20%

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

Last update for Aarau: 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

Aarau

$1K 37%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 23.1% $239

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$588 21%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 40.1% $235

Eating Out

Aarau

$439 15.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 51.7% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 10.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 39.1% $77

Getting Around

Aarau

$190 6.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 54.2% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 37.9% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,277 in Aarau 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 688% higher in Aarau, 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 $106 in Aarau versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $588 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

8 h behind Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

4,912

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aarau Nosara 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Aarau
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

Aarau vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 52% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,191 per month in Aarau 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 101% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,152 per month in Aarau and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Aarau at $2,794. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,794 in Aarau. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.