Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Crans-Montana and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,440 in Crans-Montana, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Crans-Montana
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,440
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,440 per month in Crans-Montana vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Crans-Montana $3,440
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $5,216 per month in Crans-Montana vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Crans-Montana $5,216
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $6,992 per month in Crans-Montana vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Crans-Montana $6,992
  • Nosara $3,814

Crans-Montana costs about 87% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Crans-Montana and Nosara sit above the global median – Crans-Montana by 154%, Nosara by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Crans-Montana
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.31 CHF 15.08
$12.34 ₡5,535
48.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 CHF 83.7
$61.3 ₡27.5K
65.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.87 CHF 14.72
$7.76 ₡3,481
130.28%
Cappuccino
$3.53 CHF 2.90
$4.44 ₡1,992
-20.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.64 CHF 3.82
$1.79 ₡803
159.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04 CHF 3.33
$1.29 ₡580
213.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.85 CHF 8.11
$3.24 ₡1,451
204.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.47 CHF 7.80
$4.43 ₡1,985
113.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Crans-Montana
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.37 CHF 1.95
$1.55 ₡696
52.90%
White Bread (500g)
$3.44 CHF 2.83
$3.08 ₡1,380
11.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.28 CHF 2.70
$2.53 ₡1,133
29.64%
Eggs
$7.92 CHF 6.52
$3.45 ₡1,546
129.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$25.04 CHF 20.62
$7.32 ₡3,284
242.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$29.16 CHF 24.01
$10.24 ₡4,594
184.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$42.65 CHF 35.13
$14.10 ₡6,326
202.48%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 CHF 2.86
$2.29 ₡1,027
51.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 CHF 1.40
$1.64 ₡737
3.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 CHF 2.32
$4.79 ₡2,149
-41.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.93 CHF 4.06
$1.64 ₡735
200.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 CHF 1.32
$3.85 ₡1,727
-58.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.26 CHF 1.87
$3.75 ₡1,681
-39.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.24 CHF 1.85
$1.09 ₡488
105.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 CHF 1.36
$2.59 ₡1,160
-36.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.10 CHF 9.14
$5.12 ₡2,295
116.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.88 CHF 9.78
$19.92 ₡8,931
-40.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.15 CHF 2.59
$2.80 ₡1,255
12.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 CHF 2.84
$3.52 ₡1,580
-1.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Crans-Montana
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.79 CHF 3.95
$1.22 ₡549
292.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$112 CHF 92.0
$73.9 ₡33.1K
51.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.48 CHF 6.16
$2.17 ₡973
244.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.01 CHF 2.48
$1.56 ₡698
92.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$62.6 CHF 51.6
$8.67 ₡3,886
622.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.44 CHF 2.01
$1.55 ₡697
57.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.7K CHF 31.9K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
11.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K CHF 32.4K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
1.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Crans-Montana
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$280 CHF 231
$94.8 ₡42.5K
195.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.45 CHF 30.84
$36.15 ₡16.2K
3.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.4 CHF 48.09
$53.1 ₡23.8K
10.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Crans-Montana
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$99.8 CHF 82.2
$73.8 ₡33.1K
35.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$41.00 CHF 33.77
$35.63 ₡16.0K
15.07%
Cinema Ticket
$24.52 CHF 20.20
$7.91 ₡3,548
209.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Crans-Montana
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,350 CHF 1,936
$490 ₡219.9K
379.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.0K CHF 29.6K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
202.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Crans-Montana
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$135 CHF 111
$54.8 ₡24.6K
145.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$79.9 CHF 65.8
$55.9 ₡25.1K
42.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$163 CHF 134
$80.4 ₡36.0K
102.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$187 CHF 154
$77.9 ₡34.9K
140.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Crans-Montana
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,620 CHF 1,335
$801 ₡359.1K
102.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,562 CHF 1,287
$790 ₡354.1K
97.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,733 CHF 2,251
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-31.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,753 CHF 2,267
$1,409 ₡632.0K
95.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.5K CHF 14.4K
$7,064 ₡3.2M
147.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$12.1K CHF 9,973
$1,236 ₡554.3K
879.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Crans-Montana
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$887 ₡397.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.98
8.62
-77.03%

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

Last update for Crans-Montana: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Crans-Montana
$1.6K
Nosara
$790 49.5% $773
Groceries & Markets
Crans-Montana
$600
Nosara
$350 41.7% $250
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Crans-Montana
$376
Nosara
$184 51% $192
Eating Out
Crans-Montana
$345
Nosara
$213 38.4% $133
Clothing & Footwear
Crans-Montana
$254
Nosara
$121 52.4% $133
Getting Around
Crans-Montana
$153
Nosara
$89 42.1% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Crans-Montana
$149
Nosara
$90 39.8% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,620 in Crans-Montana 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 $102 in Crans-Montana versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $600 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Crans-Montana
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
23:18 11:18 PM
15:18 3:18 PM
8 h behind Crans-Montana
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,218
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Crans-Montana Nosara 9,450 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Crans-Montana
  • 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
Crans-Montana vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Crans-Montana or Nosara?
Crans-Montana costs about 87% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Crans-Montana and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,159 per month in Crans-Montana and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Crans-Montana or Nosara?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Crans-Montana or in Nosara?
Groceries cost about 72% more in Crans-Montana, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Crans-Montana and in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Crans-Montana and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Crans-Montana or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Crans-Montana at $3,440. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Crans-Montana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Crans-Montana or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $3,440 in Crans-Montana. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Crans-Montana compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Crans-Montana or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Crans-Montana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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