Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swieqi and Nosara

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.

Swieqi
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,089
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Swieqi 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 Swieqi and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

  • Swieqi $2,089
  • Nosara $1,839

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

  • Swieqi $3,297
  • Nosara $2,828

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

  • Swieqi $4,505
  • Nosara $3,818

Swieqi costs about 14% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Swieqi
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.71 €14.86
$12.35 ₡5,539
35.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.0 €59.6
$61.2 ₡27.4K
9.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.11 €9.88
$7.52 ₡3,373
47.74%
Cappuccino
$3.22 €2.86
$4.41 ₡1,978
-26.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 €2.12
$1.74 ₡780
37.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.31 ₡587
41.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.59 €3.20
$3.28 ₡1,471
9.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 €4.05
$4.47 ₡2,004
2.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Swieqi
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.56 ₡701
-12.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 €1.27
$3.02 ₡1,355
-52.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.41 €3.03
$2.51 ₡1,125
35.86%
Eggs
$3.14 €2.80
$3.57 ₡1,603
-12.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 €7.87
$7.43 ₡3,333
19.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.97 €8.87
$10.52 ₡4,717
-5.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.00 €16.01
$13.97 ₡6,265
28.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.73 €3.32
$2.35 ₡1,052
58.72%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 €1.93
$1.61 ₡720
35.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 €2.47
$4.80 ₡2,152
-42.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.68 €3.28
$1.61 ₡724
128.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.80 ₡1,703
-51.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.50 €2.22
$3.69 ₡1,657
-32.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.13 ₡507
52.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 €0.79
$2.66 ₡1,191
-66.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.28 €5.59
$5.18 ₡2,321
21.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.00 €5.33
$19.88 ₡8,916
-69.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.49 €2.22
$2.90 ₡1,300
-14.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 €2.04
$3.63 ₡1,626
-36.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Swieqi
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.06
$1.12 ₡504
107.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.41 €12.82
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-80.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.42
$2.14 ₡958
79.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.83 €1.63
$1.57 ₡703
16.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.02 €29.37
$8.52 ₡3,823
287.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 €1.32
$1.52 ₡682
-1.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K €24.4K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
27.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K €34.7K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
12.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swieqi
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 €111
$96.3 ₡43.2K
29.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.22 €19.76
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-38.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.77 €26.48
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-44.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Swieqi
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 €57.7
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-9.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.93 €14.17
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-54.37%
Cinema Ticket
$8.87 €7.89
$7.89 ₡3,539
12.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Swieqi
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$222 €197
$494 ₡221.6K
-55.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K €11.0K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
4.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Swieqi
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.1 €50.8
$53.9 ₡24.2K
5.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.6 €50.3
$55.4 ₡24.8K
2.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 €99.9
$77.9 ₡34.9K
44.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €113
$79.6 ₡35.7K
60.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Swieqi
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,283 €1,141
$788 ₡353.4K
62.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 €961
$794 ₡356.2K
36.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,155 €2,806
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-19.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,140 €1,903
$1,419 ₡636.5K
50.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,950 €3,513
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-42.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,768 €2,461
$1,224 ₡549.0K
126.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Swieqi
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,418 €1,262
$864 ₡387.3K
64.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.01
8.62
-53.48%

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

Last update for Swieqi: 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
Swieqi
$1.1K
Nosara
$794 26.5% $286
Groceries & Markets
Swieqi
$303
Nosara
$352 16.3% $49
Eating Out
Swieqi
$250
Nosara
$212 15.1% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swieqi
$177
Nosara
$186 5.1% $8.9
Clothing & Footwear
Swieqi
$159
Nosara
$120 24.5% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Swieqi
$83
Nosara
$87 5.7% $4.8
Getting Around
Swieqi
$37
Nosara
$87 138% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,283 in Swieqi 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 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 $67.0 in Swieqi versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Swieqi vs $352 in Nosara – so Swieqi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Swieqi
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
16:43 4:43 PM
08:43 8:43 AM
8 h behind Swieqi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,000
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Swieqi Nosara 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Swieqi
  • 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
Swieqi vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Swieqi and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,089 in Swieqi, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Swieqi compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,133 per month in Swieqi and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Swieqi and Nosara?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Swieqi and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 404% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Swieqi and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Swieqi and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Swieqi and Nosara?
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.
Is Swieqi or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Swieqi and Nosara?
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.

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