Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fribourg and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,310 in Fribourg, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Fribourg
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Fribourg Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Fribourg

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,310

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,310 per month in Fribourg vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Fribourg $3,310
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,866 per month in Fribourg vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Fribourg $4,866
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,423 per month in Fribourg vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Fribourg $6,423
Nosara $3,818

Fribourg costs about 80% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fribourg and Nosara sit above the global median – Fribourg by 145%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.10 CHF 24.79

$12.35 ₡5,539

143.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

92.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 CHF 12.58

$7.52 ₡3,373

103.06%

Cappuccino

$6.14 CHF 5.06

$4.41 ₡1,978

39.23%

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

$4.89 CHF 4.03

$1.74 ₡780

181.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 CHF 4.22

$1.31 ₡587

290.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 CHF 5.91

$3.28 ₡1,471

118.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 CHF 5.31

$4.47 ₡2,004

44.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$1.56 ₡701

37.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.59

$3.02 ₡1,355

4.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.89

$2.51 ₡1,125

39.84%

Eggs

$7.23 CHF 5.96

$3.57 ₡1,603

102.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.79 CHF 19.60

$7.43 ₡3,333

220.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.77 CHF 20.40

$10.52 ₡4,717

135.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.43 CHF 30.01

$13.97 ₡6,265

160.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.90

$2.35 ₡1,052

49.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.39

$1.61 ₡720

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 2.03

$4.80 ₡2,152

-48.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$1.61 ₡724

176.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.47

$3.80 ₡1,703

-53.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.70

$3.69 ₡1,657

-43.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$1.13 ₡507

98.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 1.01

$2.66 ₡1,191

-53.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 9.04

$5.18 ₡2,321

111.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 CHF 8.40

$19.88 ₡8,916

-48.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 CHF 2.84

$2.90 ₡1,300

18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$3.63 ₡1,626

-35.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 CHF 2.94

$1.12 ₡504

218.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 CHF 70.6

$72.6 ₡32.6K

18.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 CHF 8.10

$2.14 ₡958

359.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.02 CHF 3.31

$1.57 ₡703

156.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.4 CHF 59.7

$8.52 ₡3,823

750.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$1.52 ₡682

48.68%

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

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

92.97%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

12.47%

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

$336 CHF 277

$96.3 ₡43.2K

249.25%

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

$40.26 CHF 33.16

$35.89 ₡16.1K

12.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 CHF 46.31

$53.6 ₡24.0K

4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 CHF 48.39

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-17.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.82 CHF 24.56

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-14.58%

Cinema Ticket

$21.24 CHF 17.50

$7.89 ₡3,539

169.20%

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

$1,762 CHF 1,451

$494 ₡221.6K

256.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K CHF 29.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

202.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 CHF 83.0

$53.9 ₡24.2K

86.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 CHF 46.97

$55.4 ₡24.8K

2.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$77.9 ₡34.9K

104.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 156

$79.6 ₡35.7K

137.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 CHF 1,293

$788 ₡353.4K

99.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 CHF 1,181

$794 ₡356.2K

80.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 CHF 2,018

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-37.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 CHF 1,792

$1,419 ₡636.5K

53.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.6K CHF 16.9K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

197.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.7K CHF 11.3K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

1021.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,808 CHF 5,607

$864 ₡387.3K

688.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

8.62

-73.20%

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

Last update for Fribourg: 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

Fribourg

$1.4K 43.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 44.6% $639

Groceries & Markets

Fribourg

$536 16.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 34.2% $183

Eating Out

Fribourg

$449 13.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 52.8% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fribourg

$433 13.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 57.1% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Fribourg

$228 6.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 47.2% $108

Getting Around

Fribourg

$130 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 33% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Fribourg

$101 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 13.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,570 in Fribourg 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 688% higher in Fribourg, 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 $118 in Fribourg versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $536 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Fribourg

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

04:44 4:44 AM

8 h behind Fribourg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,485

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

Fribourg Nosara 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fribourg
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

Fribourg vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fribourg costs about 80% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,965 per month in Fribourg 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,762 per month in Fribourg and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Fribourg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Fribourg at $3,310. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fribourg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $3,310 in Fribourg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Fribourg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.