Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zermatt and Nosara

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.

165

Cost of Living Index in Zermatt
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Zermatt Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Zermatt

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Zermatt $3,362
Nosara $1,839

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

Zermatt $5,133
Nosara $2,828

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

Zermatt $6,904
Nosara $3,818

Zermatt costs about 83% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.31 CHF 24.96

$12.35 ₡5,539

145.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 99.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

96.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.01 CHF 14.83

$7.52 ₡3,373

139.49%

Cappuccino

$5.93 CHF 4.89

$4.41 ₡1,978

34.47%

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

$5.14 CHF 4.23

$1.74 ₡780

195.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 CHF 3.90

$1.31 ₡587

261.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.19 CHF 7.56

$3.28 ₡1,471

180.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 CHF 6.11

$4.47 ₡2,004

66.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$1.56 ₡701

40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 CHF 2.97

$3.02 ₡1,355

19.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.14

$2.51 ₡1,125

51.79%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.35

$3.57 ₡1,603

115.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.52 CHF 21.02

$7.43 ₡3,333

243.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.00 CHF 23.06

$10.52 ₡4,717

166.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.02 CHF 32.96

$13.97 ₡6,265

186.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.92

$2.35 ₡1,052

50.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.64

$1.61 ₡720

23.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.23

$4.80 ₡2,152

-43.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 CHF 3.92

$1.61 ₡724

195.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.45

$3.80 ₡1,703

-53.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$3.69 ₡1,657

-41.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 CHF 1.79

$1.13 ₡507

92.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.02

$2.66 ₡1,191

-53.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 CHF 9.07

$5.18 ₡2,321

112.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 CHF 10.47

$19.88 ₡8,916

-36.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 CHF 2.24

$2.90 ₡1,300

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.64

$3.63 ₡1,626

-11.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.75

$1.12 ₡504

306.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 CHF 79.9

$72.6 ₡32.6K

33.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 CHF 6.42

$2.14 ₡958

264.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$1.57 ₡703

186.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$76.6 CHF 63.1

$8.52 ₡3,823

798.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$1.52 ₡682

47.37%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

87.41%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

12.62%

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

$277 CHF 228

$96.3 ₡43.2K

187.63%

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

$32.99 CHF 27.17

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-8.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 CHF 46.21

$53.6 ₡24.0K

4.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.2 CHF 72.6

$71.6 ₡32.1K

23.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.75 CHF 36.86

$34.91 ₡15.7K

28.19%

Cinema Ticket

$22.78 CHF 18.76

$7.89 ₡3,539

188.72%

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

$2,662 CHF 2,193

$494 ₡221.6K

438.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

185.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$53.9 ₡24.2K

162.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 CHF 48.39

$55.4 ₡24.8K

6.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 CHF 125

$77.9 ₡34.9K

94.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 152

$79.6 ₡35.7K

131.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 CHF 1,807

$788 ₡353.4K

178.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 CHF 1,172

$794 ₡356.2K

79.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,778 CHF 2,288

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-29.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,426 CHF 1,998

$1,419 ₡636.5K

70.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K CHF 13.1K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

130.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,849

$1,224 ₡549.0K

876.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,685 CHF 7,976

$864 ₡387.3K

1021.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

8.62

-75.99%

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

Last update for Zermatt: 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

Zermatt

$1.4K 42.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 44.2% $629

Groceries & Markets

Zermatt

$584 17.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 39.6% $231

Eating Out

Zermatt

$468 13.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 54.7% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zermatt

$366 10.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 49.3% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Zermatt

$242 7.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 50.3% $122

Getting Around

Zermatt

$146 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 40.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Zermatt

$134 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 34.7% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,194 in Zermatt 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 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 $120 in Zermatt versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $584 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zermatt

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

12:44 12:44 PM

8 h behind Zermatt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,800

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 17, 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 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zermatt Nosara 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Zermatt
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

Zermatt vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,362 in Zermatt, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,043 per month in Zermatt 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 34% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,662 per month in Zermatt 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 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.