Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Stabio

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,425 in Stabio, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 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 Stabio
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Stabio Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Stabio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Stabio

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $3,425 in Stabio, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Stabio $3,425

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $5,492 in Stabio, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Stabio $5,492

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $7,560 in Stabio, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Stabio $7,560

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

Both Nosara and Stabio sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Stabio by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$34.94 CHF 28.78

-64.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$177 CHF 146

-65.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$19.37 CHF 15.95

-59.94%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.81 CHF 3.96

-7.69%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$5.54 CHF 4.57

-67.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$4.37 CHF 3.60

-70.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$9.66 CHF 7.96

-66.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.30 CHF 6.01

-39.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.67 CHF 3.02

-16.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.22 CHF 3.48

-40.05%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$7.01 CHF 5.77

-50.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$26.24 CHF 21.61

-72.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$28.39 CHF 23.38

-63.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$39.68 CHF 32.68

-64.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-31.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.65 CHF 1.36

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.56 CHF 2.11

87.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.41 CHF 4.46

-69.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.78 CHF 1.47

116.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.08 CHF 1.71

80.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-52.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.23 CHF 1.01

110.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$10.85 CHF 8.93

-52.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$14.42 CHF 11.88

38.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$3.01 CHF 2.48

-6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.90 CHF 3.21

-9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$3.93 CHF 3.23

-68.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$115 CHF 94.8

-35.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$7.18 CHF 5.92

-69.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$5.71 CHF 4.70

-72.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$36.82 CHF 30.32

-76.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-33.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$38.8K CHF 31.9K

-10.87%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$40.0K CHF 32.9K

-3.04%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$284 CHF 234

-66.61%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$25.68 CHF 21.15

40.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$49.18 CHF 40.51

7.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$102 CHF 83.6

-27.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$48.09 CHF 39.61

-25.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$21.37 CHF 17.60

-62.99%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$3,227 CHF 2,658

-84.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$34.9K CHF 28.7K

-65.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$109 CHF 89.4

-49.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$49.00 CHF 40.36

14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$153 CHF 126

-47.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$166 CHF 137

-53.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,798 CHF 1,481

-55.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,450 CHF 1,194

-45.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$3,344 CHF 2,754

19.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,728 CHF 2,247

-48.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$16.5K CHF 13.6K

-57.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$12.8K CHF 10.5K

-90.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Stabio: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Stabio

$1.4K 42.4% 83.6% $660

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Stabio

$592 17.3% 69.3% $242

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Stabio

$498 14.5% 134% $285

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Stabio

$359 10.5% 95% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Stabio

$215 6.3% 77.5% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Stabio

$144 4.2% 61% $55

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Stabio

$167 4.9% 87.7% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,798 in Stabio. 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 $177 in Stabio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $592 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Stabio

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

00:17 12:17 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

4,600

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Stabio 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Stabio

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 Stabio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $3,425 in Stabio – roughly 87% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $5,137 in Stabio. 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.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $3,227 in Stabio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Stabio at $3,425. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stabio it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,835 in Nosara to $3,425 in Stabio. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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