Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changshu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $707 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $707 in Changshu versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Changshu $707
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,120 in Changshu versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Changshu $1,120
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Changshu versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Changshu $1,532
Nosara $3,712

Living in Changshu costs roughly 61% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Changshu is 47% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.12

$12.22 ₡5,498

-77.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.35 ¥143

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-64.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.30

$7.54 ₡3,391

-33.95%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ¥20.67

$4.31 ₡1,937

-28.31%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.72 ₡772

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$1.35 ₡606

-80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$3.24 ₡1,456

-70.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.78

$4.48 ₡2,014

-54.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥12.49

$1.57 ₡705

19.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.44

$3.17 ₡1,426

-50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$2.42 ₡1,089

-62.81%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.31

$3.57 ₡1,605

-56.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 ¥86.1

$7.43 ₡3,342

73.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.16

$10.42 ₡4,687

-69.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 ¥67.5

$13.66 ₡6,143

-25.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$2.32 ₡1,042

-21.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.33

$1.61 ₡726

-22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.29

$4.74 ₡2,133

-67.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.64

$1.66 ₡746

-31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$3.72 ₡1,675

-81.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.98

$3.57 ₡1,608

-75.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$1.10 ₡496

-49.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$2.55 ₡1,147

-80.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.35

$4.95 ₡2,227

-38.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 ¥71.2

$20.01 ₡9,001

-46.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.97

$2.79 ₡1,253

-73.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.91

$3.53 ₡1,586

-53.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$1.19 ₡536

-77.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.85 ¥113

$72.1 ₡32.4K

-76.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.16

$2.24 ₡1,009

-38.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$1.55 ₡699

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 ¥45.56

$8.86 ₡3,985

-23.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$1.57 ₡706

-27.39%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-11.23%

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

$16.9K ¥113.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-51.11%

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

$44.92 ¥300

$93.5 ₡42.0K

-51.93%

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

$9.95 ¥66.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-71.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.63 ¥77.7

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-77.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 ¥282

$71.4 ₡32.1K

-40.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.67 ¥91.3

$35.44 ₡15.9K

-61.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ¥39.29

$7.84 ₡3,528

-25.00%

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

$340 ¥2,272

$490 ₡220.2K

-30.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

44.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 ¥290

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-19.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 ¥201

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-46.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ¥473

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ¥490

$78.9 ₡35.5K

-7.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ¥1,853

$786 ₡353.6K

-64.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥1,281

$780 ₡350.8K

-75.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,986

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-84.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ¥2,370

$1,407 ₡633.0K

-74.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,056 ¥20.4K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-56.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 ¥13.4K

$1,201 ₡540.2K

67.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡394.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

8.62

-54.87%

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

Last update for Changshu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changshu

$198 27.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 76.7% $152

Accommodation & Living

Changshu

$192 26.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 307% $588

Clothing & Footwear

Changshu

$98 13.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 22.9% $22

Eating Out

Changshu

$85 12%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 145% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changshu

$67 9.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 171% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Changshu

$54 7.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 61.2% $33

Getting Around

Changshu

$21 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 313% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Changshu and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Changshu vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $350 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changshu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

00:42 12:42 AM

14 h behind Changshu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,677,050

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 = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Changshu Nosara 14,600 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Changshu
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

Changshu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,061 in Changshu and $2,756 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $277 in Changshu versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $707 per month in Changshu versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $707 in Changshu versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Changshu and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.