Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brissago and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,504 in Brissago, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Brissago
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Brissago Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Brissago

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,504

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,504 per month in Brissago vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Brissago $3,504
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $5,141 per month in Brissago vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Brissago $5,141
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $6,777 per month in Brissago vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Brissago $6,777
Nosara $3,814

Brissago costs about 91% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brissago and Nosara sit above the global median – Brissago by 159%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.38 CHF 24.32

$12.34 ₡5,554

138.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 102

$61.3 ₡27.6K

101.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.55 CHF 12.87

$7.76 ₡3,494

100.39%

Cappuccino

$6.77 CHF 5.61

$4.44 ₡1,999

52.48%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.24

$1.79 ₡806

253.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 CHF 5.97

$1.29 ₡582

458.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.14 CHF 7.57

$3.24 ₡1,456

182.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 CHF 6.61

$4.43 ₡1,992

80.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$1.55 ₡698

36.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 CHF 2.48

$3.08 ₡1,385

-2.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.60

$2.53 ₡1,137

24.11%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.53

$3.45 ₡1,551

128.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.67 CHF 20.42

$7.32 ₡3,296

237.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.66 CHF 24.55

$10.24 ₡4,610

189.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.72 CHF 32.88

$14.10 ₡6,348

181.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CHF 3.34

$2.29 ₡1,030

75.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$1.64 ₡740

21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.28

$4.79 ₡2,156

-42.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 CHF 3.94

$1.64 ₡738

190.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$3.85 ₡1,733

-56.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.72

$3.75 ₡1,687

-44.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CHF 1.90

$1.09 ₡489

111.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CHF 1.12

$2.59 ₡1,164

-47.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CHF 9.20

$5.12 ₡2,303

117.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 CHF 10.05

$19.92 ₡8,963

-39.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.80 ₡1,260

-21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CHF 2.48

$3.52 ₡1,585

-15.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 CHF 3.88

$1.22 ₡551

284.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.5 CHF 76.6

$73.9 ₡33.3K

25.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.67

$2.17 ₡977

271.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.57 CHF 3.79

$1.56 ₡700

192.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$108 CHF 89.0

$8.67 ₡3,900

1140.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$1.55 ₡700

47.74%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

14.61%

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

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

1.19%

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

$279 CHF 231

$94.8 ₡42.7K

194.70%

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

$28.26 CHF 23.39

$36.15 ₡16.3K

-21.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 CHF 46.44

$53.1 ₡23.9K

5.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.8 CHF 66.0

$73.8 ₡33.2K

8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.62 CHF 35.27

$35.63 ₡16.0K

19.62%

Cinema Ticket

$24.22 CHF 20.04

$7.91 ₡3,560

206.19%

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

$3,145 CHF 2,603

$490 ₡220.6K

541.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K CHF 25.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

159.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 117

$54.8 ₡24.7K

157.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 CHF 51.1

$55.9 ₡25.2K

10.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 CHF 128

$80.4 ₡36.2K

92.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 CHF 163

$77.9 ₡35.0K

152.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 CHF 1,496

$801 ₡360.4K

125.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 CHF 1,293

$790 ₡355.3K

97.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,635 CHF 2,181

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-34.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 CHF 1,888

$1,409 ₡634.2K

61.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.9K CHF 15.6K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

167.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K CHF 9,050

$1,236 ₡556.2K

784.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡399.0K

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 Brissago: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brissago

$1.6K 44.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 49.5% $773

Groceries & Markets

Brissago

$579 16.5%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 39.7% $230

Eating Out

Brissago

$479 13.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 55.6% $266

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brissago

$364 10.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 49.4% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Brissago

$249 7.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 51.4% $128

Getting Around

Brissago

$142 4.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 37.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Brissago

$128 3.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 30.1% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,807 in Brissago versus $801 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 $123 in Brissago versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $579 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Brissago

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:40 1:40 AM

18:40 6:40 PM

7 h behind Brissago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800

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 = 2.22 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.927 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Brissago Nosara 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Brissago
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

Brissago vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,504 in Brissago, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 91% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,256 per month in Brissago and $2,753 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $801 there versus $1,807 in Brissago.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Brissago, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Brissago and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Brissago at $3,504. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brissago 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.

For expats, Nosara is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 91% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.