Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Thun

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,388 in Thun, 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Thun
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Thun Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Thun

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Thun

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,388 in Thun, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Thun $3,388

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,170 in Thun, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Thun $5,170

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $6,952 in Thun, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Thun $6,952

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$28.31 CHF 23.32

-56.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$122 CHF 100

-49.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$15.51 CHF 12.77

-51.52%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.45 CHF 5.31

-31.63%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$6.28 CHF 5.17

-72.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$5.88 CHF 4.84

-77.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$8.85 CHF 7.29

-62.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.67 CHF 6.32

-41.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.13 CHF 1.76

-26.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.99 CHF 2.46

1.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.13 CHF 2.58

-19.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.60 CHF 6.26

-53.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$23.82 CHF 19.62

-68.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$26.88 CHF 22.14

-60.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$39.26 CHF 32.34

-64.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.55 CHF 2.92

-33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.65 CHF 2.18

81.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.73 CHF 3.90

-65.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.56 CHF 1.28

143.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.00 CHF 1.65

84.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-48.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.28 CHF 1.05

107.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.25 CHF 9.26

-53.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.09 CHF 9.96

64.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.26 CHF 1.86

28.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.92 CHF 2.41

24.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.49 CHF 3.70

-75.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$100 CHF 82.6

-27.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$8.04 CHF 6.62

-73.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-65.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$82.9 CHF 68.3

-89.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-36.13%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

-49.19%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-12.49%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$289 CHF 238

-66.70%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$46.36 CHF 38.18

-22.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$62.8 CHF 51.7

-14.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$89.8 CHF 74.0

-20.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$46.01 CHF 37.89

-24.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$23.22 CHF 19.12

-66.02%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$3,058 CHF 2,519

-83.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$30.5K CHF 25.1K

-61.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$144 CHF 119

-62.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$78.8 CHF 64.9

-29.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$159 CHF 131

-51.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$192 CHF 158

-58.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,685 CHF 1,388

-53.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,432 CHF 1,180

-44.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,842 CHF 2,341

38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,457 CHF 2,023

-42.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

-57.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$11.8K CHF 9,721

-89.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$5,785 CHF 4,765

-85.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.42

256.20%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Thun: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Thun

$1.4K 42.3% 80.3% $638

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Thun

$556 16.4% 57.7% $203

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Thun

$459 13.5% 117% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Thun

$398 11.8% 115% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Thun

$258 7.6% 115% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Thun

$136 4% 56% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Thun

$149 4.4% 71% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,685 in Thun. 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 570% higher in Thun, 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 Thun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $556 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Thun

🕒 Local time

02:28 2:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

43,905

💱 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 Thun 9,450 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Thun

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 Thun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $3,388 in Thun – roughly 84% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $5,083 in Thun. 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 38% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $3,058 in Thun. 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 Thun at $3,388. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thun 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 $3,388 in Thun. 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, Thun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.