Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,361 in Bern, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

163

Cost of Living Index in Bern
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Bern Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bern

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,361

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,361 in Bern versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Bern $3,361
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,127 in Bern versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Bern $5,127
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,894 in Bern versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Bern $6,894
Nosara $3,712

Living in Bern is roughly 83% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 151% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.65 CHF 23.78

$12.22 ₡5,509

134.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 99.9

$60.2 ₡27.1K

99.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.95 CHF 13.23

$7.54 ₡3,399

111.54%

Cappuccino

$6.61 CHF 5.49

$4.31 ₡1,941

53.36%

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

$6.16 CHF 5.11

$1.72 ₡773

258.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 CHF 5.79

$1.35 ₡608

416.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.14 CHF 7.59

$3.24 ₡1,459

182.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 CHF 6.60

$4.48 ₡2,018

77.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.82

$1.57 ₡707

39.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 CHF 2.42

$3.17 ₡1,429

-8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.70

$2.42 ₡1,091

34.30%

Eggs

$7.57 CHF 6.29

$3.57 ₡1,609

112.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.53 CHF 20.36

$7.43 ₡3,349

230.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.76 CHF 23.87

$10.42 ₡4,697

176.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.92 CHF 32.30

$13.66 ₡6,156

184.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 CHF 3.27

$2.32 ₡1,044

69.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.62

$1.61 ₡728

21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.19

$4.74 ₡2,138

-44.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 CHF 3.91

$1.66 ₡747

183.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.34

$3.72 ₡1,679

-56.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 CHF 1.63

$3.57 ₡1,611

-44.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.90

$1.10 ₡497

108.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CHF 1.12

$2.55 ₡1,149

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CHF 9.20

$4.95 ₡2,232

123.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CHF 9.96

$20.01 ₡9,020

-40.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.85

$2.79 ₡1,256

-20.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CHF 2.42

$3.53 ₡1,589

-17.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.31 CHF 5.24

$1.19 ₡537

430.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 83.2

$72.1 ₡32.5K

39.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.68

$2.24 ₡1,011

258.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.52 CHF 3.76

$1.55 ₡701

191.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$107 CHF 88.8

$8.86 ₡3,993

1107.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$1.57 ₡708

47.13%

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

$43.0K CHF 35.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

97.31%

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

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

13.22%

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

$267 CHF 222

$93.5 ₡42.1K

185.81%

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

$27.95 CHF 23.20

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-20.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CHF 45.51

$51.5 ₡23.2K

6.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.9 CHF 72.2

$71.4 ₡32.2K

21.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.30 CHF 38.43

$35.44 ₡16.0K

30.64%

Cinema Ticket

$23.85 CHF 19.79

$7.84 ₡3,535

204.21%

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

$3,148 CHF 2,612

$490 ₡220.7K

543.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.7K CHF 25.5K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

158.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 118

$53.5 ₡24.1K

165.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 51.0

$55.8 ₡25.1K

10.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 CHF 130

$79.3 ₡35.7K

97.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 CHF 162

$78.9 ₡35.6K

147.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 CHF 1,577

$786 ₡354.3K

141.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 CHF 1,151

$780 ₡351.6K

77.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,555 CHF 2,951

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,455 CHF 2,037

$1,407 ₡634.4K

74.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.3K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

164.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 12.1K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

1117.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,782 CHF 5,629

$876 ₡395.0K

673.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

8.62

-71.46%

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

Last update for Bern: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bern

$1.4K 41.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 43.7% $606

Groceries & Markets

Bern

$569 17.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 38.6% $220

Eating Out

Bern

$470 14.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 55.5% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bern

$350 10.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 48.5% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Bern

$250 7.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 51.8% $130

Getting Around

Bern

$156 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 44.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Bern

$135 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 35.3% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,900 in Bern and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 674% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $120 in Bern vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $569 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Bern

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

23:23 11:23 PM

8 h behind Bern

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,848 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 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 CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bern Nosara 9,430 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bern
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

Bern vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Bern. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 674% higher in Bern, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,900 in Bern versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $120 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,361 per month in Bern versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,361 in Bern, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Bern. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bern and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.