Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arbon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,464 in Arbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

167

Cost of Living Index in Arbon
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Arbon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Arbon

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,464

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,464 per month in Arbon vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Arbon $3,464
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,192 per month in Arbon vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Arbon $5,192
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,920 per month in Arbon vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Arbon $6,920
Nosara $3,818

Arbon costs about 88% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Arbon and Nosara sit above the global median – Arbon by 157%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.53 CHF 24.33

$12.35 ₡5,539

139.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 118

$61.2 ₡27.4K

134.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.95 CHF 15.61

$7.52 ₡3,373

151.99%

Cappuccino

$6.11 CHF 5.03

$4.41 ₡1,978

38.55%

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

$5.74 CHF 4.73

$1.74 ₡780

229.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CHF 4.19

$1.31 ₡587

288.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.00 CHF 7.42

$3.28 ₡1,471

174.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 CHF 5.08

$4.47 ₡2,004

38.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$1.56 ₡701

38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.60

$3.02 ₡1,355

4.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 3.12

$2.51 ₡1,125

51.00%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.49

$3.57 ₡1,603

120.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.14 CHF 20.71

$7.43 ₡3,333

238.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CHF 23.41

$10.52 ₡4,717

170.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.09 CHF 33.84

$13.97 ₡6,265

194.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.82

$2.35 ₡1,052

45.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$1.61 ₡720

24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.97

$4.80 ₡2,152

-50.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 CHF 4.35

$1.61 ₡724

227.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$3.80 ₡1,703

-46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$3.69 ₡1,657

-40.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.88

$1.13 ₡507

101.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CHF 1.01

$2.66 ₡1,191

-54.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.64 CHF 8.77

$5.18 ₡2,321

105.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 CHF 13.57

$19.88 ₡8,916

-17.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$2.90 ₡1,300

-26.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$3.63 ₡1,626

-38.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 CHF 3.96

$1.12 ₡504

329.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 CHF 79.1

$72.6 ₡32.6K

32.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 CHF 5.35

$2.14 ₡958

203.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.73 CHF 3.89

$1.57 ₡703

201.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.17 CHF 29.79

$8.52 ₡3,823

324.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$1.52 ₡682

50.66%

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

$34.5K CHF 28.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

59.43%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

13.82%

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

$275 CHF 227

$96.3 ₡43.2K

186.00%

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

$38.11 CHF 31.39

$35.89 ₡16.1K

6.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 CHF 44.78

$53.6 ₡24.0K

1.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.0 CHF 74.1

$71.6 ₡32.1K

25.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.06 CHF 32.17

$34.91 ₡15.7K

11.89%

Cinema Ticket

$23.43 CHF 19.29

$7.89 ₡3,539

196.96%

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

$2,250 CHF 1,853

$494 ₡221.6K

355.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K CHF 25.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

164.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$53.9 ₡24.2K

165.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 CHF 53.6

$55.4 ₡24.8K

17.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 CHF 118

$77.9 ₡34.9K

83.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 CHF 146

$79.6 ₡35.7K

122.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 CHF 1,286

$788 ₡353.4K

98.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 CHF 1,253

$794 ₡356.2K

91.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,904 CHF 2,392

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-26.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,322 CHF 1,912

$1,419 ₡636.5K

63.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K CHF 11.5K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

101.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

1014.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$11.1K CHF 9,124

$864 ₡387.3K

1182.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

8.62

-77.96%

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

Last update for Arbon: 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

Arbon

$1.5K 43.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 47.8% $727

Groceries & Markets

Arbon

$588 17%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 40.1% $236

Eating Out

Arbon

$467 13.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 54.6% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arbon

$368 10.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 49.5% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Arbon

$238 6.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 49.5% $118

Getting Around

Arbon

$145 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 40.1% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Arbon

$137 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 36.2% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,561 in Arbon 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 1183% higher in Arbon, 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 $144 in Arbon 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

🇨🇭 Arbon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

8 h behind Arbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,853

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 19, 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 19, 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

Arbon Nosara 9,570 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Arbon
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

Arbon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,464 in Arbon, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,197 per month in Arbon 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 $3,464 in Arbon and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 88%.

Public transport costs about 32% 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 Arbon at $3,464. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arbon 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $3,464 in Arbon. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.