Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lancy

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,280 in Lancy, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 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
164

Cost of Living Index in Lancy
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Lancy Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Lancy

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,280

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lancy

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,280 in Lancy.

Nosara $1,835
Lancy $3,280

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $5,151 in Lancy.

Nosara $2,825
Lancy $5,151

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $7,023 in Lancy.

Nosara $3,814
Lancy $7,023

Living in Nosara costs roughly 44% less than in Lancy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Lancy 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,584

$28.74 CHF 23.68

-57.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.7K

$124 CHF 102

-50.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,512

$15.64 CHF 12.89

-50.38%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡2,009

$6.32 CHF 5.20

-29.75%

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

$1.79 ₡810

$4.56 CHF 3.76

-60.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡585

$4.01 CHF 3.30

-67.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,464

$9.28 CHF 7.64

-65.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡2,003

$7.72 CHF 6.36

-42.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡702

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-30.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,392

$2.90 CHF 2.39

6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,143

$3.13 CHF 2.57

-19.17%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,560

$7.57 CHF 6.24

-54.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,313

$24.10 CHF 19.85

-69.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,635

$29.41 CHF 24.23

-65.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,382

$39.04 CHF 32.16

-63.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,036

$3.54 CHF 2.92

-35.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡744

$1.65 CHF 1.36

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,168

$2.74 CHF 2.25

74.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡742

$4.76 CHF 3.92

-65.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,743

$1.58 CHF 1.30

143.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,696

$2.05 CHF 1.69

82.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,170

$1.35 CHF 1.12

91.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,315

$10.84 CHF 8.93

-52.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡9,010

$12.17 CHF 10.03

63.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,266

$2.17 CHF 1.79

29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,594

$2.91 CHF 2.40

20.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡554

$3.90 CHF 3.21

-68.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.4K

$94.7 CHF 78.0

-21.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡982

$7.73 CHF 6.37

-71.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡704

$3.78 CHF 3.12

-58.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,921

$64.6 CHF 53.2

-86.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡703

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-33.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$38.8K CHF 31.9K

-10.89%

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

$38.7K ₡17.5M

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

-2.00%

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

$94.8 ₡42.9K

$276 CHF 227

-65.64%

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

$36.15 ₡16.4K

$27.82 CHF 22.92

29.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡24.0K

$55.1 CHF 45.42

-3.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.4K

$90.5 CHF 74.5

-18.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.1K

$46.39 CHF 38.22

-23.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,579

$24.28 CHF 20.00

-67.42%

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

$490 ₡221.8K

$2,430 CHF 2,002

-79.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$30.3K CHF 25.0K

-60.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.8K

$135 CHF 111

-59.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.3K

$61.0 CHF 50.2

-8.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.4K

$158 CHF 130

-49.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.2K

$188 CHF 154

-58.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡362.3K

$1,798 CHF 1,481

-55.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡357.2K

$1,384 CHF 1,140

-42.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,926 CHF 2,410

36.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡637.6K

$2,610 CHF 2,150

-46.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$17.9K CHF 14.7K

-60.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡559.2K

$11.4K CHF 9,367

-89.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡401.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.98

335.35%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lancy: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Lancy

$1.4K 42.2% 75.3% $595

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Lancy

$568 17.3% 62.4% $218

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Lancy

$449 13.7% 111% $236

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Lancy

$359 10.9% 95% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Lancy

$244 7.4% 101% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Lancy

$139 4.2% 55.2% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Lancy

$137 4.2% 54.3% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $1,798 in Lancy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $124 in Lancy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $568 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Lancy

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

10:11 10:11 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,919

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Lancy 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lancy

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 Lancy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $4,919 in Lancy 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 $1,798 in Lancy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $3,280 in Lancy – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 22% less than in Lancy. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,280 in Lancy, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lancy. 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 Lancy, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Lancy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.