Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Embrach and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,413 in Embrach, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Embrach
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Embrach Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Embrach

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,413

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,413 per month in Embrach vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Embrach $3,413
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,157 per month in Embrach vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Embrach $5,157
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,900 per month in Embrach vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Embrach $6,900
Nosara $3,818

Embrach costs about 86% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Embrach and Nosara sit above the global median – Embrach by 153%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.58 CHF 24.36

$12.35 ₡5,539

139.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 97.7

$61.2 ₡27.4K

93.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.28 CHF 15.05

$7.52 ₡3,373

143.09%

Cappuccino

$6.10 CHF 5.02

$4.41 ₡1,978

38.32%

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

$5.27 CHF 4.34

$1.74 ₡780

202.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 CHF 4.07

$1.31 ₡587

277.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.93 CHF 7.36

$3.28 ₡1,471

172.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 CHF 5.77

$4.47 ₡2,004

56.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$1.56 ₡701

41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$3.02 ₡1,355

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.99

$2.51 ₡1,125

44.62%

Eggs

$7.75 CHF 6.38

$3.57 ₡1,603

117.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.68 CHF 21.15

$7.43 ₡3,333

245.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.23 CHF 23.25

$10.52 ₡4,717

168.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.96 CHF 32.91

$13.97 ₡6,265

186.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.91

$2.35 ₡1,052

50.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$1.61 ₡720

26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.14

$4.80 ₡2,152

-45.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$1.61 ₡724

191.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.48

$3.80 ₡1,703

-52.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$3.69 ₡1,657

-42.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$1.13 ₡507

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.03

$2.66 ₡1,191

-53.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 CHF 8.89

$5.18 ₡2,321

108.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 CHF 10.33

$19.88 ₡8,916

-36.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CHF 2.21

$2.90 ₡1,300

-7.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.60

$3.63 ₡1,626

-12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 CHF 3.80

$1.12 ₡504

312.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.8 CHF 80.5

$72.6 ₡32.6K

34.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 6.23

$2.14 ₡958

253.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.62 CHF 3.80

$1.57 ₡703

194.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 CHF 61.3

$8.52 ₡3,823

773.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$1.52 ₡682

43.42%

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

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

91.85%

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

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

13.19%

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

$280 CHF 231

$96.3 ₡43.2K

190.66%

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

$33.14 CHF 27.30

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-7.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.09

$53.6 ₡24.0K

4.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 CHF 72.8

$71.6 ₡32.1K

23.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.03 CHF 37.91

$34.91 ₡15.7K

31.85%

Cinema Ticket

$22.52 CHF 18.55

$7.89 ₡3,539

185.42%

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

$2,681 CHF 2,208

$494 ₡221.6K

442.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 28.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

186.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$53.9 ₡24.2K

163.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 CHF 48.02

$55.4 ₡24.8K

5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 CHF 126

$77.9 ₡34.9K

95.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 153

$79.6 ₡35.7K

133.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 CHF 1,388

$788 ₡353.4K

113.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 CHF 1,213

$794 ₡356.2K

85.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,787 CHF 2,295

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-29.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 CHF 2,001

$1,419 ₡636.5K

71.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

126.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.1K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

899.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,693 CHF 5,513

$864 ₡387.3K

675.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

8.62

-75.99%

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

Last update for Embrach: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Embrach

$1.5K 43.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 46% $678

Groceries & Markets

Embrach

$585 17.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 39.7% $232

Eating Out

Embrach

$464 13.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 54.4% $252

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Embrach

$369 10.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 49.7% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Embrach

$242 7.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 50.4% $122

Getting Around

Embrach

$147 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 40.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Embrach

$133 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 34.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,685 in Embrach 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 675% higher in Embrach, 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 $119 in Embrach versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $585 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Embrach

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

22:56 10:56 PM

8 h behind Embrach

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,300

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

Embrach Nosara 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Embrach
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

Embrach vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,413 in Embrach, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 86% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,119 per month in Embrach 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 $3,413 in Embrach and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 86%.

Public transport costs about 35% 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 Embrach at $3,413. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Embrach 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 $3,413 in Embrach. 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, Embrach makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.