Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Balzers

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,242 in Balzers, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
155

Cost of Living Index in Balzers
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Balzers Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Balzers

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$3,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Balzers

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,242 in Balzers.

Nosara $1,837
Balzers $3,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $5,014 in Balzers.

Nosara $2,775
Balzers $5,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $6,786 in Balzers.

Nosara $3,712
Balzers $6,786

Living in Nosara costs roughly 43% less than in Balzers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Balzers 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$30.43 CHF 25.26

-59.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$119 CHF 98.6

-49.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$21.49 CHF 17.83

-64.91%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.56 CHF 4.62

-22.48%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$6.03 CHF 5.00

-71.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$5.36 CHF 4.44

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$7.10 CHF 5.89

-54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$7.11 CHF 5.90

-36.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.60 CHF 2.16

-39.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.96 CHF 2.45

7.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.69 CHF 2.23

-10.04%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$12.03 CHF 9.99

-70.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$25.01 CHF 20.76

-70.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$23.41 CHF 19.43

-55.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$48.70 CHF 40.42

-71.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.45 CHF 2.87

-32.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$3.82 CHF 3.17

-57.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$4.07 CHF 3.37

16.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.56 CHF 2.13

-35.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.34 CHF 1.94

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.10 CHF 1.74

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.06 CHF 1.71

-46.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.58 CHF 1.32

61.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$12.10 CHF 10.04

-59.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$13.67 CHF 11.35

46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.99 CHF 1.65

40.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.72 CHF 1.43

105.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$3.49 CHF 2.90

-65.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$81.4 CHF 67.6

-11.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.79 CHF 1.48

25.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$5.86 CHF 4.86

-73.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$8.34 CHF 6.92

6.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.14 CHF 1.78

-26.64%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$33.8K CHF 28.1K

-35.53%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$32.2K CHF 26.7K

7.58%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$216 CHF 179

-56.77%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$39.00 CHF 32.37

-9.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$70.7 CHF 58.7

-27.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$92.7 CHF 77.0

-22.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$24.01 CHF 19.93

47.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$24.20 CHF 20.08

-67.60%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$296 CHF 245

65.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,624 CHF 7,158

37.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$126 CHF 104

-57.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$50.7 CHF 42.09

9.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$171 CHF 142

-53.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$221 CHF 183

-64.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$989 CHF 821

-20.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,260 CHF 1,046

-38.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,849 CHF 2,364

35.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,312 CHF 1,919

-39.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$16.1K CHF 13.4K

-56.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$5,180 CHF 4,300

-76.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$8,613 CHF 7,148

-89.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.55

14.17%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Balzers: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Balzers

$1.3K 39.6% 61.6% $480

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Balzers

$601 18.9% 72% $252

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Balzers

$470 14.8% 124% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Balzers

$326 10.3% 81% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Balzers

$256 8% 112% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Balzers

$141 4.4% 62.1% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Balzers

$126 4% 45.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $989 in Balzers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 883% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $119 in Balzers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $601 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇮 Balzers

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

07:05 7:05 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

4,600

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Balzers 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Balzers

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 Balzers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 883% lower in Balzers. 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: $786 in Nosara versus $989 in Balzers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Balzers. 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 $60.0 versus $119 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,242 in Balzers, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Balzers. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Balzers, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Balzers 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 76% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.