Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Glattfelden

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,409 in Glattfelden, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 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 Glattfelden
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Glattfelden Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Glattfelden

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Glattfelden

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,409 in Glattfelden, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Glattfelden $3,409

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,193 in Glattfelden, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Glattfelden $5,193

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $6,977 in Glattfelden, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Glattfelden $6,977

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

Both Nosara and Glattfelden sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Glattfelden by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$29.86 CHF 24.59

-58.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$122 CHF 100

-49.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$17.74 CHF 14.61

-57.61%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.89 CHF 4.85

-25.13%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$5.25 CHF 4.32

-66.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$4.69 CHF 3.86

-72.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$8.86 CHF 7.30

-62.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.42 CHF 6.11

-39.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-27.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.67 CHF 3.02

-17.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.63 CHF 2.99

-30.85%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.55 CHF 6.22

-52.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$26.28 CHF 21.65

-71.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$27.48 CHF 22.63

-61.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$40.35 CHF 33.23

-65.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.45 CHF 2.84

-31.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.06 CHF 1.70

-21.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.60 CHF 2.14

84.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.61 CHF 3.80

-65.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.86 CHF 1.53

104.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.06 CHF 1.70

79.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.25 CHF 1.86

-49.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.29 CHF 1.06

106.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.79 CHF 8.88

-51.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.92 CHF 10.64

53.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.70 CHF 2.23

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.23 CHF 2.66

12.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.57 CHF 3.77

-75.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$99.6 CHF 82.0

-27.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$7.45 CHF 6.13

-71.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$4.62 CHF 3.81

-66.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$76.4 CHF 62.9

-88.85%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.3K

-46.61%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.3K CHF 32.3K

-12.09%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$283 CHF 233

-66.00%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.72 CHF 26.95

9.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$55.5 CHF 45.75

-3.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$88.3 CHF 72.8

-18.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$45.99 CHF 37.88

-24.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$23.25 CHF 19.15

-66.06%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,672 CHF 2,200

-81.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$34.2K CHF 28.2K

-65.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$139 CHF 114

-61.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$57.9 CHF 47.68

-4.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$153 CHF 126

-48.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$183 CHF 151

-56.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,662 CHF 1,369

-52.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,470 CHF 1,210

-45.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,798 CHF 2,305

40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,496 CHF 2,055

-43.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$15.6K CHF 12.9K

-55.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$11.8K CHF 9,722

-89.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$5,508 CHF 4,536

-84.32%

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 Glattfelden: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Glattfelden

$1.5K 43.1% 85% $675

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Glattfelden

$583 17.1% 65.6% $231

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Glattfelden

$462 13.5% 118% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Glattfelden

$371 10.9% 100% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Glattfelden

$240 7% 99.5% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Glattfelden

$135 4% 54.3% $47

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Glattfelden

$148 4.4% 70.4% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,662 in Glattfelden. 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 538% higher in Glattfelden, 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 $122 in Glattfelden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $583 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Glattfelden

🕒 Local time

23:38 11:38 PM

07:38 7:38 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

5,400

💱 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 Glattfelden 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Glattfelden

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 Glattfelden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glattfelden costs about 85% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $5,113 in Glattfelden. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $122 in Glattfelden. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $3,409 in Glattfelden. That's a gap of about 85%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Glattfelden at $3,409. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glattfelden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $3,409 in Glattfelden. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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