Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beihai and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Beihai: $744 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Beihai
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Beihai Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Beihai

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $744 per month in Beihai vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Beihai $744
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,167 per month in Beihai vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Beihai $1,167
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,590 per month in Beihai vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Beihai $1,590
Nosara $3,818

Beihai is about 60% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Beihai sits 45% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 ¥22.75

$12.35 ₡5,550

-72.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.56 ¥131

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-68.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 ¥37.31

$7.52 ₡3,379

-25.80%

Cappuccino

$2.43 ¥16.28

$4.41 ₡1,982

-44.90%

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

$0.46 ¥3.09

$1.74 ₡781

-73.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥1.99

$1.31 ₡588

-77.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.14

$3.28 ₡1,474

-62.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.34

$4.47 ₡2,008

-48.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.69

$1.56 ₡702

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.36

$3.02 ₡1,358

-43.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.33

$2.51 ₡1,127

-56.18%

Eggs

$1.87 ¥12.53

$3.57 ₡1,606

-47.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 ¥93.3

$7.43 ₡3,340

87.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 ¥19.54

$10.52 ₡4,727

-72.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 ¥70.8

$13.97 ₡6,277

-24.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 ¥14.03

$2.35 ₡1,054

-10.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$1.61 ₡721

-8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.19

$4.80 ₡2,156

-68.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.48

$1.61 ₡725

-21.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$3.80 ₡1,706

-80.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.46

$3.69 ₡1,660

-73.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.47

$1.13 ₡508

-40.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.33

$2.66 ₡1,193

-81.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.70

$5.18 ₡2,326

-34.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 ¥80.6

$19.88 ₡8,934

-39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.95

$2.90 ₡1,303

-74.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.10

$3.63 ₡1,629

-54.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$1.12 ₡505

-73.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.17 ¥115

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-76.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ¥10.42

$2.14 ₡960

-27.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.57 ₡705

-80.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 ¥41.53

$8.52 ₡3,830

-27.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ¥9.31

$1.52 ₡683

-8.55%

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

$18.2K ¥121.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-15.85%

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

$18.2K ¥121.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-47.17%

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

$61.5 ¥411

$96.3 ₡43.3K

-36.10%

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

$9.42 ¥63.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-73.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.09 ¥80.9

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-77.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 ¥274

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-42.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.01 ¥93.7

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-59.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 ¥38.20

$7.89 ₡3,546

-27.63%

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

$458 ¥3,065

$494 ₡222.0K

-7.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ¥122.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

54.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.58 ¥325

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-9.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.03 ¥254

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-31.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 ¥534

$77.9 ₡35.0K

2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 ¥528

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ¥1,863

$788 ₡354.1K

-64.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ¥1,190

$794 ₡356.9K

-77.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 ¥4,804

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥2,221

$1,419 ₡637.7K

-76.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,665 ¥24.5K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-46.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,221 ¥14.9K

$1,224 ₡550.0K

81.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

8.62

-61.02%

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

Last update for Beihai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Beihai

$212 28.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 66.4% $141

Accommodation & Living

Beihai

$178 23.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 346% $616

Clothing & Footwear

Beihai

$110 14.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 8.7% $9.6

Eating Out

Beihai

$87 11.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 144% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beihai

$83 11.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 124% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Beihai

$52 7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 66.7% $35

Getting Around

Beihai

$22 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 305% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in Beihai 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Beihai versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $352 – making Beihai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beihai

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

14 h behind Beihai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,617,500

4,912

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Beihai Nosara 16,160 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Beihai
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

Beihai vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 147% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,116 per month in Beihai 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 Beihai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Beihai and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beihai costs $744 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Beihai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.