Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Montreux

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,392 in Montreux, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 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 Montreux
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Montreux Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Montreux

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,392

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Montreux

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,392 in Montreux, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Montreux $3,392

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,203 in Montreux, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Montreux $5,203

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $7,015 in Montreux, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Montreux $7,015

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$30.50 CHF 25.12

-59.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$132 CHF 109

-53.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$18.41 CHF 15.16

-59.15%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.93 CHF 4.89

-25.63%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$4.86 CHF 4.00

-64.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$4.11 CHF 3.38

-68.13%

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

$9.85 CHF 8.11

-54.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-26.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.35 CHF 2.76

-9.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.23 CHF 2.66

-22.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.08 CHF 5.83

-49.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$24.74 CHF 20.37

-69.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$28.15 CHF 23.19

-62.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$39.23 CHF 32.31

-64.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.47 CHF 2.86

-32.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.63 CHF 1.35

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.43 CHF 2.00

97.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.62 CHF 3.81

-65.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.79 CHF 1.47

112.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.92 CHF 1.58

92.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.72 CHF 1.42

54.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.67 CHF 8.79

-51.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.98 CHF 9.87

65.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.70 CHF 2.22

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.16 CHF 2.60

14.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.54 CHF 3.74

-75.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$101 CHF 82.8

-27.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$7.52 CHF 6.20

-71.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.95 CHF 3.25

-60.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$62.4 CHF 51.4

-86.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.30 CHF 1.89

-33.91%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$38.2K CHF 31.4K

-43.39%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

-11.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$285 CHF 234

-66.17%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$36.64 CHF 30.18

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$50.9 CHF 41.94

5.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$88.5 CHF 72.9

-19.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$45.52 CHF 37.49

-23.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$23.83 CHF 19.63

-66.89%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,416 CHF 1,990

-79.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$35.8K CHF 29.5K

-66.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$137 CHF 113

-60.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$76.0 CHF 62.6

-27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$163 CHF 134

-52.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$185 CHF 152

-56.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,673 CHF 1,378

-52.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,440 CHF 1,186

-44.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,879 CHF 2,371

36.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,458 CHF 2,025

-42.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$15.6K CHF 12.9K

-55.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$12.1K CHF 9,982

-89.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$8,082 CHF 6,657

-89.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.95

342.05%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montreux: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Montreux

$1.4K 42.5% 81.3% $646

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Montreux

$570 16.8% 61.8% $218

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Montreux

$475 14% 124% $263

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Montreux

$372 11% 100% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Montreux

$252 7.4% 110% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Montreux

$136 4% 55.8% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Montreux

$146 4.3% 67.6% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,673 in Montreux. 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 836% higher in Montreux, 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 $132 in Montreux. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $570 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Montreux

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

05:18 5:18 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

26,208

💱 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 Montreux 9,400 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Montreux

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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreux 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 $5,088 in Montreux. 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 $2,416 in Montreux. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Montreux, 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 Montreux at $3,392. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreux 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, Montreux makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.