Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Arbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,464 in Arbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Arbon
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Arbon Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Arbon

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Arbon

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,464 in Arbon, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Arbon $3,464

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,192 in Arbon, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Arbon $5,192

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $6,920 in Arbon, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Arbon $6,920

Nosara is about 47% cheaper than Arbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Arbon sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Arbon by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$29.53 CHF 24.33

-58.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$144 CHF 118

-57.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$18.95 CHF 15.61

-60.32%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.11 CHF 5.03

-27.82%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$5.74 CHF 4.73

-69.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$5.09 CHF 4.19

-74.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$9.00 CHF 7.42

-63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.17 CHF 5.08

-27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.15 CHF 2.60

-4.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.79 CHF 3.12

-33.77%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.88 CHF 6.49

-54.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$25.14 CHF 20.71

-70.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$28.42 CHF 23.41

-62.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$41.09 CHF 33.84

-66.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.42 CHF 2.82

-31.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.00 CHF 1.65

-19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.39 CHF 1.97

100.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.28 CHF 4.35

-69.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.04 CHF 1.68

86.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.19 CHF 1.80

68.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.22 CHF 1.01

118.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.64 CHF 8.77

-51.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$16.47 CHF 13.57

20.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.12 CHF 1.75

36.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.25 CHF 1.85

61.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.81 CHF 3.96

-76.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$96.0 CHF 79.1

-24.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.50 CHF 5.35

-67.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$4.73 CHF 3.89

-66.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$36.17 CHF 29.79

-76.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-33.62%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.5K CHF 28.4K

-37.28%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

-12.14%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$275 CHF 227

-65.04%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$38.11 CHF 31.39

-5.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$54.4 CHF 44.78

-1.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$90.0 CHF 74.1

-20.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$39.06 CHF 32.17

-10.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$23.43 CHF 19.29

-66.33%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,250 CHF 1,853

-78.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$31.3K CHF 25.8K

-62.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$143 CHF 118

-62.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$65.1 CHF 53.6

-14.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$143 CHF 118

-45.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$177 CHF 146

-55.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,561 CHF 1,286

-49.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,521 CHF 1,253

-47.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,904 CHF 2,392

35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,322 CHF 1,912

-38.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$13.9K CHF 11.5K

-50.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

-91.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$11.1K CHF 9,124

-92.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.9

353.68%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arbon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Arbon

$1.5K 43.9% 91.5% $727

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Arbon

$588 17% 66.9% $236

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Arbon

$467 13.5% 121% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Arbon

$368 10.6% 98% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Arbon

$238 6.9% 98.2% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Arbon

$137 4% 56.6% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Arbon

$145 4.2% 66.9% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,561 in Arbon. 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 1183% higher in Arbon, 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 $144 in Arbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $588 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Arbon

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

12:42 12:42 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

15,853

💱 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 Arbon 9,570 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Arbon

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 Arbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $3,464 in Arbon – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $5,197 in Arbon. 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 $3,464 in Arbon. That's a gap of about 88%.

Public transport costs about 32% 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 Arbon at $3,464. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arbon 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 $3,464 in Arbon. 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, Arbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.