Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,329 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Yens
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Yens Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Yens

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,329 in Yens, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Yens $3,329

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,100 in Yens, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Yens $5,100

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $6,872 in Yens, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Yens $6,872

Nosara is about 45% cheaper than Yens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Yens sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Yens by 147%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$29.34 CHF 24.16

-57.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$119 CHF 98.0

-48.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$15.95 CHF 13.14

-52.85%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.00 CHF 4.94

-26.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$4.95 CHF 4.08

-64.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$4.27 CHF 3.51

-69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$9.07 CHF 7.47

-63.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.69 CHF 6.34

-41.87%

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

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-21.07%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.17 CHF 5.91

-50.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$23.95 CHF 19.73

-68.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$28.06 CHF 23.11

-62.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$39.38 CHF 32.44

-64.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.63 CHF 2.99

-35.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.95 CHF 1.61

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.52 CHF 2.08

90.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-63.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.62 CHF 1.34

134.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.94 CHF 1.60

90.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.98 CHF 1.63

-42.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.27 CHF 1.05

109.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.70 CHF 8.81

-51.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.98 CHF 9.87

65.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.24 CHF 1.85

29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.86 CHF 2.36

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-75.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$98.4 CHF 81.0

-26.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$7.70 CHF 6.34

-72.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$4.56 CHF 3.75

-65.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$84.2 CHF 69.3

-89.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.36 CHF 1.94

-35.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$41.9K CHF 34.5K

-48.41%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-13.06%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$274 CHF 225

-64.81%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$27.35 CHF 22.52

31.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$51.4 CHF 42.31

4.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$89.6 CHF 73.8

-20.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$45.51 CHF 37.48

-23.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$24.00 CHF 19.76

-67.13%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,954 CHF 2,433

-83.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$30.3K CHF 25.0K

-60.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$141 CHF 116

-61.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$61.4 CHF 50.6

-9.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$138 CHF 114

-43.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$197 CHF 162

-59.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,679 CHF 1,383

-53.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,440 CHF 1,186

-44.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,839 CHF 2,338

38.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,494 CHF 2,054

-43.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

-57.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$12.0K CHF 9,900

-89.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Yens: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Yens

$1.4K 43.3% 81.2% $645

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Yens

$558 16.8% 58.4% $206

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Yens

$452 13.6% 114% $240

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Yens

$352 10.6% 89.7% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Yens

$242 7.3% 101% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Yens

$138 4.1% 57.4% $50

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Yens

$147 4.4% 69% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,679 in Yens. 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 $119 in Yens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $558 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Yens

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,200

💱 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

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Between locations

Nosara Yens 9,360 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Yens

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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $3,329 in Yens – roughly 81% 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 $4,993 in Yens. 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 35% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $2,954 in Yens. 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 Yens at $3,329. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yens 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 $3,329 in Yens. 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, Yens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.