Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cham

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,527 in Cham, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 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
171

Cost of Living Index in Cham
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Cham Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Cham

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,527 in Cham.

Nosara $1,835
Cham $3,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $5,432 in Cham.

Nosara $2,825
Cham $5,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $7,337 in Cham.

Nosara $3,814
Cham $7,337

Living in Nosara costs roughly 48% less than in Cham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Cham 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$30.40 CHF 25.04

-59.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$122 CHF 101

-49.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$18.19 CHF 14.98

-57.34%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$6.17 CHF 5.09

-28.04%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$5.52 CHF 4.55

-67.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$4.81 CHF 3.96

-73.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$8.62 CHF 7.10

-62.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$6.60 CHF 5.44

-32.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-27.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.80 CHF 3.13

-18.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$3.86 CHF 3.18

-34.46%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$7.26 CHF 5.98

-52.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$26.70 CHF 21.99

-72.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$28.37 CHF 23.37

-63.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$42.48 CHF 34.98

-66.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.22 CHF 3.48

-45.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.28 CHF 2.70

46.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.59 CHF 3.78

-64.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.42 CHF 1.99

59.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.16 CHF 1.78

73.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-55.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.16 CHF 0.95

123.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-53.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$12.73 CHF 10.48

56.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.78 CHF 2.29

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.14 CHF 2.59

12.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$4.95 CHF 4.08

-75.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$149 CHF 122

-50.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$5.29 CHF 4.36

-58.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$3.40 CHF 2.80

-54.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$61.7 CHF 50.8

-85.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-33.19%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

-11.48%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

-0.79%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$279 CHF 230

-66.01%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$30.94 CHF 25.48

16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$55.9 CHF 46.04

-5.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$90.5 CHF 74.5

-18.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$49.67 CHF 40.90

-28.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$25.71 CHF 21.18

-69.23%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,791 CHF 1,475

-72.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$32.2K CHF 26.5K

-63.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$143 CHF 118

-61.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$58.7 CHF 48.31

-4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$168 CHF 138

-52.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$253 CHF 208

-69.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,739 CHF 1,432

-53.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,475 CHF 1,214

-46.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,977 CHF 2,452

34.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,600 CHF 2,142

-45.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

-58.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$13.3K CHF 10.9K

-90.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Cham: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Cham

$1.5K 41.8% 86.8% $685

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Cham

$604 17.1% 72.7% $254

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Cham

$470 13.3% 121% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Cham

$366 10.4% 98.8% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Cham

$280 7.9% 132% $159

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Cham

$142 4% 58.4% $52

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Cham

$191 5.4% 115% $102

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $1,739 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $122 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $604 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Cham

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

17,060

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cham 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cham

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 Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $5,290 in Cham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $1,739 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $1,791 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,527 in Cham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Cham. 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 Cham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Cham 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 92% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.