Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubendorf and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,678 in Dubendorf, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Dubendorf
Learn more

Dubendorf Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubendorf

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,678

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,678 in Dubendorf versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Dubendorf $3,678
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,457 in Dubendorf versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Dubendorf $5,457
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,236 in Dubendorf versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Dubendorf $7,236
Nosara $3,818

Living in Dubendorf is roughly 100% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubendorf 172% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.44 CHF 24.24

$12.35 ₡5,539

138.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

93.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.26 CHF 13.39

$7.52 ₡3,373

116.22%

Cappuccino

$5.92 CHF 4.88

$4.41 ₡1,978

34.24%

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

$5.47 CHF 4.50

$1.74 ₡780

214.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 CHF 4.02

$1.31 ₡587

272.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 CHF 6.78

$3.28 ₡1,471

150.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 CHF 5.30

$4.47 ₡2,004

44.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.56 ₡701

34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 CHF 3.23

$3.02 ₡1,355

29.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 CHF 3.81

$2.51 ₡1,125

84.06%

Eggs

$7.33 CHF 6.04

$3.57 ₡1,603

105.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.45 CHF 26.72

$7.43 ₡3,333

336.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.18 CHF 21.56

$10.52 ₡4,717

148.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.54 CHF 35.03

$13.97 ₡6,265

204.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 CHF 2.94

$2.35 ₡1,052

51.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.61 ₡720

30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$4.80 ₡2,152

-35.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.00 CHF 5.76

$1.61 ₡724

334.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$3.80 ₡1,703

-34.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$3.69 ₡1,657

-41.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$1.13 ₡507

123.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.15

$2.66 ₡1,191

-47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 CHF 8.98

$5.18 ₡2,321

110.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.34 CHF 10.98

$19.88 ₡8,916

-32.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$2.90 ₡1,300

-19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CHF 2.83

$3.63 ₡1,626

-5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$1.12 ₡504

108.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.20 CHF 39.69

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-33.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 CHF 4.42

$2.14 ₡958

150.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 CHF 2.82

$1.57 ₡703

118.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 CHF 49.90

$8.52 ₡3,823

611.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$1.52 ₡682

48.03%

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

$41.8K CHF 34.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

93.62%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

13.08%

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

$235 CHF 194

$96.3 ₡43.2K

144.20%

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

$31.38 CHF 25.84

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 CHF 53.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

21.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$121 CHF 99.5

$71.6 ₡32.1K

68.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$78.7 CHF 64.8

$34.91 ₡15.7K

125.47%

Cinema Ticket

$24.26 CHF 19.98

$7.89 ₡3,539

207.48%

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

$1,777 CHF 1,463

$494 ₡221.6K

259.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

173.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 115

$53.9 ₡24.2K

159.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.0 CHF 71.6

$55.4 ₡24.8K

56.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 120

$77.9 ₡34.9K

87.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 CHF 142

$79.6 ₡35.7K

116.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 CHF 1,486

$788 ₡353.4K

128.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CHF 1,462

$794 ₡356.2K

123.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 CHF 2,316

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-28.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 CHF 2,275

$1,419 ₡636.5K

94.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,902

$6,912 ₡3.1M

73.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,098 CHF 5,846

$1,224 ₡549.0K

479.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,844 CHF 3,166

$864 ₡387.3K

345.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.48

8.62

-71.23%

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

Last update for Dubendorf: 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

Dubendorf

$1.8K 48.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 55.3% $981

Groceries & Markets

Dubendorf

$626 17%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 43.7% $273

Eating Out

Dubendorf

$451 12.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 53% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubendorf

$332 9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 44% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Dubendorf

$245 6.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 51.1% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Dubendorf

$169 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 48.4% $82

Getting Around

Dubendorf

$80 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 8.8% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,805 in Dubendorf and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubendorf pays 345% 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: $118 in Dubendorf vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $626 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Dubendorf

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

23:37 11:37 PM

8 h behind Dubendorf

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,759

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

Dubendorf Nosara 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubendorf
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

Dubendorf vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubendorf and Nosara differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($3,678 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 345% higher in Dubendorf, 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: $1,805 in Dubendorf versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,678 per month in Dubendorf versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 51% less than in Dubendorf. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,678 in Dubendorf, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Dubendorf. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dubendorf 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 100% less than in Dubendorf. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.