Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Aarau

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,794 in Aarau, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Aarau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Aarau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,794 in Aarau, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Aarau $2,794

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $4,568 in Aarau, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Aarau $4,568

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $6,342 in Aarau, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Aarau $6,342

Nosara is about 34% cheaper than Aarau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Aarau sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Aarau by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$29.07 CHF 23.94

-57.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$106 CHF 87.6

-42.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$17.63 CHF 14.52

-57.35%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.80 CHF 4.78

-23.97%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$5.22 CHF 4.30

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$4.70 CHF 3.87

-72.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.15 CHF 5.06

-46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.60 CHF 5.44

-32.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-23.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.62 CHF 2.98

-16.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.59 CHF 2.13

-3.09%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.22 CHF 5.95

-50.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$30.30 CHF 24.96

-75.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$29.34 CHF 24.16

-64.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$40.30 CHF 33.19

-65.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.89 CHF 2.38

-18.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.78 CHF 1.46

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.44 CHF 2.01

96.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.50 CHF 4.53

-70.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.66 CHF 1.37

128.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.96 CHF 1.61

88.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.19 CHF 0.98

123.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.86 CHF 8.94

-52.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.21 CHF 8.41

94.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.49 CHF 2.05

16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.86 CHF 2.36

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$5.11 CHF 4.20

-78.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$146 CHF 120

-50.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.84 CHF 5.64

-68.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.32 CHF 2.74

-52.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$58.8 CHF 48.45

-85.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-31.53%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

-49.66%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

-12.13%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$120 CHF 98.9

-19.83%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$30.84 CHF 25.40

16.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$55.7 CHF 45.84

-3.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$97.9 CHF 80.6

-26.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$59.6 CHF 49.04

-41.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$21.42 CHF 17.64

-63.17%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$3,152 CHF 2,596

-84.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

-63.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$88.7 CHF 73.0

-39.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$70.6 CHF 58.2

-21.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$109 CHF 90.1

-28.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$169 CHF 140

-53.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,277 CHF 1,052

-38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,033 CHF 851

-23.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,290 CHF 1,886

72.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,114 CHF 1,742

-32.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$11.8K CHF 9,759

-89.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$6,801 CHF 5,601

-87.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.31

273.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Aarau

$1K 37% 30.1% $239

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Aarau

$588 21% 66.8% $235

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Aarau

$439 15.7% 107% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Aarau

$207 7.4% 11.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Aarau

$197 7.1% 64.2% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Aarau

$141 5% 61.1% $53

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Aarau

$190 6.8% 118% $103

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,277 in Aarau. 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 Aarau, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $106 in Aarau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $588 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Aarau

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

00:30 12:30 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

21,191

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Aarau 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Aarau

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

Nosara vs Aarau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 52% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $4,191 in Aarau. 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.

Public transport costs about 101% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $3,152 in Aarau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Aarau at $2,794. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,794 in Aarau. 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, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.