Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Swieqi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,089 in Swieqi, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Swieqi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Swieqi
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Swieqi Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Swieqi

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,089

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Swieqi

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,089 in Swieqi, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Swieqi $2,089

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,297 in Swieqi, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Swieqi $3,297

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,505 in Swieqi, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Swieqi $4,505

Nosara is about 12% cheaper than Swieqi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Swieqi sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Swieqi by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$16.71 €14.87

-26.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$67.0 €59.6

-8.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.11 €9.88

-32.31%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.22 €2.86

36.96%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.39 €2.13

-27.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.85 €1.64

-29.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.59 €3.20

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.56 €4.05

-1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.36 €1.21

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.43 €1.27

111.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.41 €3.03

-26.39%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.14 €2.80

13.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.85 €7.87

-16.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.97 €8.87

5.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.00 €16.01

-22.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.73 €3.32

-37.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.18 €1.94

-26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.78 €2.47

72.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.68 €3.28

-56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.86 €1.66

104.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.50 €2.22

47.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.72 €1.53

-34.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.89 €0.79

198.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.28 €5.59

-17.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.00 €5.33

231.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.49 €2.22

16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.30 €2.04

57.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.32 €2.06

-51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$14.41 €12.82

404.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.85 €3.43

-44.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.83 €1.63

-14.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$33.02 €29.38

-74.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.49 €1.32

2.01%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.5K €24.4K

-21.34%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.0K €34.7K

-11.43%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$125 €111

-22.86%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$22.22 €19.77

61.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$29.77 €26.48

80.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$64.9 €57.7

10.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.93 €14.17

119.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.87 €7.89

-11.05%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$222 €197

122.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.4K €11.0K

-4.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$57.1 €50.8

-5.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$56.6 €50.3

-2.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$112 €99.9

-30.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$128 €113

-37.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,283 €1,142

-38.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,081 €961

-26.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,155 €2,807

24.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,140 €1,903

-33.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,950 €3,513

74.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,768 €2,462

-55.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,418 €1,262

-39.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.01

114.96%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Swieqi

$1.1K 51.7% 36.1% $286

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Swieqi

$303 14.5% 14% $49

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Swieqi

$250 12% 17.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Swieqi

$177 8.5% 4.8% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Swieqi

$159 7.6% 32.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Swieqi

$83 4% 5.4% $4.8

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Swieqi

$37 1.8% 57.9% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,283 in Swieqi. 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 64% higher in Swieqi, 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 $67.0 in Swieqi. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $303 in Swieqi – so Swieqi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇹 Swieqi

🕒 Local time

09:42 9:42 AM

17:42 5:42 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

14,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Swieqi 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Swieqi

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 Swieqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,089 in Swieqi – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,133 in Swieqi. 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 404% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $222 in Swieqi. 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 $1,839, than in Swieqi at $2,089. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Swieqi 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $2,089 in Swieqi. 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, Swieqi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.