Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Giubiasco

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,382 in Giubiasco, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Giubiasco
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Giubiasco Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Giubiasco

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Giubiasco

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,382 in Giubiasco, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Giubiasco $3,382

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,400 in Giubiasco, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Giubiasco $5,400

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $7,418 in Giubiasco, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Giubiasco $7,418

Nosara is about 46% cheaper than Giubiasco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Giubiasco sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Giubiasco by 151%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$33.85 CHF 27.88

-63.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$174 CHF 143

-64.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$18.95 CHF 15.61

-60.32%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.74 CHF 3.90

-6.96%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$5.51 CHF 4.54

-68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$4.38 CHF 3.61

-70.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$9.83 CHF 8.10

-66.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.26 CHF 5.98

-38.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.57 CHF 2.94

-15.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.03 CHF 3.32

-37.72%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.35 CHF 6.05

-51.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$25.71 CHF 21.18

-71.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$28.92 CHF 23.82

-63.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$39.92 CHF 32.88

-65.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.30 CHF 2.72

-28.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.78 CHF 1.47

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.83 CHF 2.33

69.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$6.45 CHF 5.31

-75.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.85 CHF 1.52

105.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.17 CHF 1.79

70.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.37 CHF 1.95

-52.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.31 CHF 1.08

103.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.64 CHF 8.76

-51.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.49 CHF 11.93

37.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.21 CHF 2.65

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.90 CHF 3.21

-6.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.05 CHF 3.34

-72.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$114 CHF 93.8

-36.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$7.08 CHF 5.84

-69.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$5.37 CHF 4.42

-70.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$36.13 CHF 29.75

-76.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-33.33%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.3K CHF 28.2K

-36.97%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.2K CHF 32.3K

-12.00%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$276 CHF 227

-65.13%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.57 CHF 20.23

46.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$49.03 CHF 40.38

9.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$98.6 CHF 81.2

-27.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$51.5 CHF 42.44

-32.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$21.18 CHF 17.44

-62.75%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$3,138 CHF 2,584

-84.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$35.1K CHF 28.9K

-66.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$107 CHF 87.9

-49.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$48.42 CHF 39.88

14.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$151 CHF 124

-48.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$166 CHF 137

-52.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,932 CHF 1,591

-59.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,424 CHF 1,173

-44.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,913 CHF 2,399

35.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,622 CHF 2,159

-45.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$18.5K CHF 15.2K

-62.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$11.8K CHF 9,686

-89.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Giubiasco: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Giubiasco

$1.4K 42.1% 79.3% $630

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Giubiasco

$603 17.8% 71.2% $251

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Giubiasco

$488 14.4% 130% $276

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Giubiasco

$350 10.3% 88.3% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Giubiasco

$212 6.3% 76.9% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Giubiasco

$141 4.2% 61.3% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Giubiasco

$164 4.9% 88.3% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,932 in Giubiasco. 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 $174 in Giubiasco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $603 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Giubiasco

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

12:42 12:42 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

8,800

💱 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 Giubiasco 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Giubiasco

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 Giubiasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Giubiasco is pricier by about 84%, 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 $5,073 in Giubiasco. 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.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $3,138 in Giubiasco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Giubiasco, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Giubiasco at $3,382. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Giubiasco 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, Giubiasco makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.