Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,362 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,362 per month in Altstätten vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Altstätten $3,362
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,134 per month in Altstätten vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Altstätten $5,134
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,905 per month in Altstätten vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Altstätten $6,905
Nosara $3,818

Altstätten costs about 83% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Altstätten and Nosara sit above the global median – Altstätten by 149%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.51 CHF 24.30

$12.35 ₡5,539

138.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

92.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.80 CHF 14.66

$7.52 ₡3,373

136.70%

Cappuccino

$5.94 CHF 4.89

$4.41 ₡1,978

34.69%

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

$5.13 CHF 4.22

$1.74 ₡780

194.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 4.01

$1.31 ₡587

270.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 CHF 7.62

$3.28 ₡1,471

182.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 CHF 6.03

$4.47 ₡2,004

63.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$1.56 ₡701

40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$3.02 ₡1,355

17.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$2.51 ₡1,125

46.61%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.35

$3.57 ₡1,603

115.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.63 CHF 21.11

$7.43 ₡3,333

244.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.49 CHF 23.47

$10.52 ₡4,717

170.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.80 CHF 33.60

$13.97 ₡6,265

192.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.96

$2.35 ₡1,052

53.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$1.61 ₡720

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$4.80 ₡2,152

-44.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 CHF 3.91

$1.61 ₡724

195.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.52

$3.80 ₡1,703

-51.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$3.69 ₡1,657

-43.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.13 ₡507

96.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$2.66 ₡1,191

-51.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 CHF 8.83

$5.18 ₡2,321

106.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 CHF 10.63

$19.88 ₡8,916

-35.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CHF 2.32

$2.90 ₡1,300

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$3.63 ₡1,626

-14.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$1.12 ₡504

313.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.7

$72.6 ₡32.6K

38.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 CHF 6.15

$2.14 ₡958

249.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 CHF 3.84

$1.57 ₡703

196.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.3 CHF 61.2

$8.52 ₡3,823

772.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$1.52 ₡682

47.37%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

87.53%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

14.66%

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

$277 CHF 228

$96.3 ₡43.2K

187.59%

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

$32.44 CHF 26.72

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-9.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CHF 45.95

$53.6 ₡24.0K

4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 CHF 75.4

$71.6 ₡32.1K

27.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.93 CHF 37.01

$34.91 ₡15.7K

28.70%

Cinema Ticket

$22.65 CHF 18.66

$7.89 ₡3,539

187.07%

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

$2,646 CHF 2,179

$494 ₡221.6K

435.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 28.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

187.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$53.9 ₡24.2K

165.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 CHF 47.30

$55.4 ₡24.8K

3.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 123

$77.9 ₡34.9K

91.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$79.6 ₡35.7K

132.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 CHF 1,374

$788 ₡353.4K

111.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 CHF 1,168

$794 ₡356.2K

78.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,362

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-27.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 CHF 2,000

$1,419 ₡636.5K

71.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

127.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

892.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

8.62

-75.99%

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

Last update for Altstätten: 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

Altstätten

$1.4K 42.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 44% $624

Groceries & Markets

Altstätten

$590 17.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 40.2% $237

Eating Out

Altstätten

$462 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 54.1% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altstätten

$365 10.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 49.1% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Altstätten

$241 7.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 50.1% $121

Getting Around

Altstätten

$150 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 41.8% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Altstätten

$137 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 36.2% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Altstätten 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Altstätten versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $590 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

21:32 9:32 PM

8 h behind Altstätten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,145

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 20, 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 20, 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 →

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Between locations

Altstätten Nosara 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Altstätten
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

Altstätten vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,043 per month in Altstätten 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,362 in Altstätten and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 83%.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Altstätten at $3,362. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Altstätten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.