Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zermatt

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,362 in Zermatt, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 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 Zermatt
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Zermatt Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Zermatt

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zermatt

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,362 in Zermatt, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Zermatt $3,362

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,133 in Zermatt, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Zermatt $5,133

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $6,904 in Zermatt, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Zermatt $6,904

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

Both Nosara and Zermatt sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Zermatt by 149%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$30.31 CHF 24.96

-59.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$120 CHF 99.1

-49.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$18.01 CHF 14.83

-58.25%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.93 CHF 4.89

-25.63%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$5.14 CHF 4.23

-66.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$4.74 CHF 3.90

-72.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$9.19 CHF 7.56

-64.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.42 CHF 6.11

-39.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-28.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.61 CHF 2.97

-16.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.81 CHF 3.14

-34.12%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.71 CHF 6.35

-53.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$25.52 CHF 21.02

-70.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$28.00 CHF 23.06

-62.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$40.02 CHF 32.96

-65.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.54 CHF 2.92

-33.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.99 CHF 1.64

-19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.71 CHF 2.23

77.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.75 CHF 3.92

-66.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.77 CHF 1.45

114.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.15 CHF 1.77

71.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.18 CHF 1.79

-48.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.24 CHF 1.02

114.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.01 CHF 9.07

-52.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.71 CHF 10.47

56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.72 CHF 2.24

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.20 CHF 2.64

13.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.55 CHF 3.75

-75.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$97.1 CHF 79.9

-25.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$7.79 CHF 6.42

-72.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-65.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$76.6 CHF 63.1

-88.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.24 CHF 1.84

-32.14%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

-46.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

-11.20%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$277 CHF 228

-65.23%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.99 CHF 27.17

8.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$56.1 CHF 46.21

-4.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$88.2 CHF 72.6

-18.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$44.75 CHF 36.86

-21.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$22.78 CHF 18.76

-65.36%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,662 CHF 2,193

-81.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$33.8K CHF 27.8K

-64.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$142 CHF 117

-61.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$58.8 CHF 48.39

-5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$152 CHF 125

-48.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$184 CHF 152

-56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$2,194 CHF 1,807

-64.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,423 CHF 1,172

-44.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,778 CHF 2,288

41.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,426 CHF 1,998

-41.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$16.0K CHF 13.1K

-56.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$12.0K CHF 9,849

-89.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$9,685 CHF 7,976

-91.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.07

316.43%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zermatt: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Zermatt

$1.4K 42.3% 79.2% $629

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Zermatt

$584 17.4% 65.7% $231

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Zermatt

$468 13.9% 121% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Zermatt

$366 10.9% 97.1% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Zermatt

$242 7.2% 101% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zermatt

$134 4% 53.1% $46

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Zermatt

$146 4.3% 67.1% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $2,194 in Zermatt. 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 1022% higher in Zermatt, 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 $120 in Zermatt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $584 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇭 Zermatt

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

21:29 9:29 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

5,800

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Zermatt 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zermatt

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 Zermatt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $3,362 in Zermatt – roughly 83% 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 $5,043 in Zermatt. 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 34% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $2,662 in Zermatt. 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 Zermatt at $3,362. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zermatt 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 $3,362 in Zermatt. 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, Zermatt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.