Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sion and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,235 in Sion, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sion
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Sion Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sion

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,235

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sion and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sion and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,235 per month in Sion vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sion $3,235
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,857 per month in Sion vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sion $4,857
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,479 per month in Sion vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sion $6,479
Nosara $3,818

Sion costs about 76% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sion and Nosara sit above the global median – Sion by 140%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.97 CHF 23.86

$12.35 ₡5,539

134.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 CHF 73.8

$61.2 ₡27.4K

46.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.15 CHF 15.77

$7.52 ₡3,373

154.65%

Cappuccino

$4.60 CHF 3.79

$4.41 ₡1,978

4.31%

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

$5.09 CHF 4.19

$1.74 ₡780

192.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CHF 3.52

$1.31 ₡587

226.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 CHF 6.06

$3.28 ₡1,471

124.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 CHF 6.00

$4.47 ₡2,004

63.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$1.56 ₡701

24.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 CHF 2.92

$3.02 ₡1,355

17.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 CHF 3.45

$2.51 ₡1,125

66.93%

Eggs

$7.13 CHF 5.87

$3.57 ₡1,603

99.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.01 CHF 21.42

$7.43 ₡3,333

250.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.69 CHF 18.69

$10.52 ₡4,717

115.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.09 CHF 33.02

$13.97 ₡6,265

186.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.59

$2.35 ₡1,052

34.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.61 ₡720

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.09

$4.80 ₡2,152

-47.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.20 CHF 5.11

$1.61 ₡724

285.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CHF 1.53

$3.80 ₡1,703

-51.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$3.69 ₡1,657

-41.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 2.00

$1.13 ₡507

115.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CHF 0.97

$2.66 ₡1,191

-56.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 CHF 8.94

$5.18 ₡2,321

109.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CHF 11.74

$19.88 ₡8,916

-28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 CHF 1.45

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 CHF 1.57

$3.63 ₡1,626

-47.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.24 CHF 4.32

$1.12 ₡504

367.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 CHF 148

$72.6 ₡32.6K

147.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 CHF 4.89

$2.14 ₡958

177.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.29 CHF 4.36

$1.57 ₡703

236.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.12 CHF 39.63

$8.52 ₡3,823

464.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$1.52 ₡682

45.39%

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

$34.2K CHF 28.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

58.46%

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

$37.6K CHF 31.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

9.00%

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

$308 CHF 254

$96.3 ₡43.2K

220.05%

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

$24.86 CHF 20.48

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-30.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.64 CHF 40.89

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$135 CHF 111

$71.6 ₡32.1K

88.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.5 CHF 44.88

$34.91 ₡15.7K

56.09%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 CHF 16.70

$7.89 ₡3,539

157.03%

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

$953 CHF 785

$494 ₡221.6K

92.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.7K CHF 31.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

217.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 CHF 89.7

$53.9 ₡24.2K

101.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.21 CHF 39.71

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-12.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$77.9 ₡34.9K

106.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 CHF 136

$79.6 ₡35.7K

106.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 CHF 1,005

$788 ₡353.4K

54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CHF 1,021

$794 ₡356.2K

56.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CHF 1,913

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-41.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 CHF 1,707

$1,419 ₡636.5K

46.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,339 CHF 6,045

$6,912 ₡3.1M

6.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,532 CHF 4,556

$1,224 ₡549.0K

351.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,826 CHF 4,798

$864 ₡387.3K

574.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.15

8.62

-75.06%

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

Last update for Sion: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sion

$1.2K 38.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 35.9% $446

Groceries & Markets

Sion

$554 17.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 36.4% $201

Eating Out

Sion

$433 13.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 51.1% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sion

$383 11.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 51.5% $197

Getting Around

Sion

$233 7.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 62.6% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Sion

$217 6.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 44.7% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Sion

$175 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 50.2% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,221 in Sion versus $788 in Nosara. 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 575% higher in Sion, 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 $90.0 in Sion versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $554 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Sion

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

8 h behind Sion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,599

4,912

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

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).

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).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sion Nosara 9,440 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Sion
Nosara

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

Sion vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,235 in Sion, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 76% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,853 per month in Sion and $2,758 in Nosara. 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 147% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $953 per month in Sion and $494 in Nosara. 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 Sion at $3,235. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sion 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 $3,235 in Sion. 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, Sion makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.