Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Acquarossa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,452 in Acquarossa, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 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
175

Cost of Living Index in Acquarossa
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Acquarossa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Acquarossa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Acquarossa

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 Acquarossa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,452 in Acquarossa.

Nosara $1,839
Acquarossa $3,452

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $5,397 in Acquarossa.

Nosara $2,828
Acquarossa $5,397

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $7,342 in Acquarossa.

Nosara $3,818
Acquarossa $7,342

Living in Nosara costs roughly 47% less than in Acquarossa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Acquarossa 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$35.09 CHF 28.90

-64.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$145 CHF 119

-57.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$17.71 CHF 14.59

-57.54%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.86 CHF 5.65

-35.71%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$5.84 CHF 4.81

-70.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$5.41 CHF 4.46

-75.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$9.80 CHF 8.07

-66.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$8.57 CHF 7.06

-47.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-28.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.84 CHF 3.16

-21.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.83 CHF 3.15

-34.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$8.35 CHF 6.88

-57.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$26.93 CHF 22.18

-72.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$27.71 CHF 22.82

-62.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$61.7 CHF 50.9

-77.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.08 CHF 3.36

-42.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.79 CHF 2.29

-42.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.49 CHF 2.88

37.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.49 CHF 3.70

-64.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.57 CHF 2.12

47.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.20 CHF 1.81

67.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.54 CHF 2.09

-55.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.28 CHF 1.06

107.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.99 CHF 9.06

-52.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.74 CHF 11.32

44.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.70 CHF 2.22

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.16 CHF 2.60

14.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.46 CHF 3.67

-74.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$86.2 CHF 71.0

-15.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$8.31 CHF 6.85

-74.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$4.48 CHF 3.69

-64.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$89.4 CHF 73.7

-90.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.40 CHF 1.98

-36.67%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

-44.22%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

-10.76%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$272 CHF 224

-64.58%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$35.70 CHF 29.40

0.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$55.2 CHF 45.44

-2.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$94.0 CHF 77.4

-23.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$39.31 CHF 32.37

-11.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$24.28 CHF 20.00

-67.50%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$3,551 CHF 2,925

-86.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

-71.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$141 CHF 116

-61.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$58.5 CHF 48.18

-5.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$161 CHF 133

-51.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$257 CHF 212

-69.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,805 CHF 1,486

-56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,335 CHF 1,100

-40.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,264 CHF 2,688

20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,315 CHF 1,907

-38.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$14.1K CHF 11.6K

-51.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$10.7K CHF 8,838

-88.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$11.9K CHF 9,827

-92.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.07

316.43%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Acquarossa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Acquarossa

$1.3K 38.7% 68.1% $541

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Acquarossa

$672 19.5% 90.8% $320

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Acquarossa

$527 15.3% 149% $316

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Acquarossa

$363 10.5% 95.3% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Acquarossa

$278 8.1% 131% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Acquarossa

$143 4.1% 63.2% $55

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Acquarossa

$135 3.9% 54.8% $48

Cost Breakdown

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

Acquarossa pays 1282% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $145 in Acquarossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $672 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Acquarossa

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

09:02 9:02 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,900

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Acquarossa 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Acquarossa

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 Acquarossa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Acquarossa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1282% lower in Acquarossa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,805 in Acquarossa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Acquarossa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $145 in Acquarossa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,452 in Acquarossa, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Acquarossa. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Acquarossa 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 88% less than in Acquarossa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.