Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Altstätten

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,362 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Altstätten

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,362 in Altstätten, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Altstätten $3,362

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,134 in Altstätten, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Altstätten $5,134

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $6,905 in Altstätten, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Altstätten $6,905

Nosara is about 45% cheaper than Altstätten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Altstätten sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Altstätten by 149%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$29.51 CHF 24.30

-58.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$118 CHF 97.2

-48.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$17.80 CHF 14.66

-57.75%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.94 CHF 4.89

-25.76%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$5.13 CHF 4.22

-66.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$4.86 CHF 4.01

-73.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$9.25 CHF 7.62

-64.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.32 CHF 6.03

-38.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-28.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.56 CHF 2.93

-15.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.68 CHF 3.03

-31.79%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.71 CHF 6.35

-53.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$25.63 CHF 21.11

-71.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$28.49 CHF 23.47

-63.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$40.80 CHF 33.60

-65.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.60 CHF 2.96

-34.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.03 CHF 1.67

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.68 CHF 2.21

79.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.75 CHF 3.91

-66.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.84 CHF 1.52

106.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.10 CHF 1.73

75.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-49.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.29 CHF 1.07

106.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.72 CHF 8.83

-51.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.90 CHF 10.63

54.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.82 CHF 2.32

2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.11 CHF 2.56

16.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.63 CHF 3.81

-75.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$100 CHF 82.7

-27.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$7.47 CHF 6.15

-71.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$4.66 CHF 3.84

-66.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$74.3 CHF 61.2

-88.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.24 CHF 1.84

-32.14%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

-46.67%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-12.78%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$277 CHF 228

-65.23%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.44 CHF 26.72

10.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$55.8 CHF 45.95

-3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$91.5 CHF 75.4

-21.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$44.93 CHF 37.01

-22.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$22.65 CHF 18.66

-65.17%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,646 CHF 2,179

-81.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$34.1K CHF 28.1K

-65.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$143 CHF 118

-62.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$57.4 CHF 47.30

-3.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$149 CHF 123

-47.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$185 CHF 152

-56.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,668 CHF 1,374

-52.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,419 CHF 1,168

-44.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,868 CHF 2,362

37.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,429 CHF 2,000

-41.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-55.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

-89.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Altstätten: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Altstätten

$1.4K 42.2% 78.6% $624

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Altstätten

$590 17.5% 67.4% $237

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Altstätten

$462 13.7% 118% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Altstätten

$365 10.9% 96.6% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Altstätten

$241 7.2% 100% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Altstätten

$137 4.1% 56.6% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Altstätten

$150 4.5% 71.8% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,668 in Altstätten. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $118 in Altstätten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $590 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

11,145

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Altstätten 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Altstätten

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 Altstätten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $5,043 in Altstätten. 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 $1,839 in Nosara and $3,362 in Altstätten. That's a gap of about 83%.

Public transport costs about 38% 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 Altstätten at $3,362. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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