Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $734 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$734

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Chengdu vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Chengdu $734
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,211 per month in Chengdu vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Chengdu $1,211
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,688 per month in Chengdu vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Chengdu $1,688
Nosara $3,712

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

Chengdu sits 45% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.11

$12.22 ₡5,509

-76.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.31 ¥149

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-62.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥32.71

$7.54 ₡3,399

-35.15%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥19.96

$4.31 ₡1,941

-30.63%

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

$0.51 ¥3.40

$1.72 ₡773

-70.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$1.35 ₡608

-79.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$3.24 ₡1,459

-54.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.55

$4.48 ₡2,018

-51.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$1.57 ₡707

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.36

$3.17 ₡1,429

-51.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.58

$2.42 ₡1,091

-59.50%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.47

$3.57 ₡1,609

-56.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 ¥94.7

$7.43 ₡3,349

90.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ¥24.76

$10.42 ₡4,697

-64.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ¥74.3

$13.66 ₡6,156

-18.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.52

$2.32 ₡1,044

-19.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.73

$1.61 ₡728

-18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.34

$4.74 ₡2,138

-76.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$1.66 ₡747

-31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.03

$3.72 ₡1,679

-79.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$3.57 ₡1,611

-80.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.10 ₡497

-42.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.66

$2.55 ₡1,149

-78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.59

$4.95 ₡2,232

-22.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.60 ¥30.71

$20.01 ₡9,020

-77.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.45

$2.79 ₡1,256

-70.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.77

$3.53 ₡1,589

-58.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$1.19 ₡537

-63.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.70 ¥165

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-65.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.09

$2.24 ₡1,011

-39.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$1.55 ₡701

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ¥29.26

$8.86 ₡3,993

-50.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.69

$1.57 ₡708

-17.20%

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

$19.5K ¥130.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-10.38%

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

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-50.72%

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

$47.43 ¥317

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-49.25%

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

$9.39 ¥62.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-73.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 ¥83.6

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-75.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.41 ¥183

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-61.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 ¥75.5

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-68.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.14 ¥41.05

$7.84 ₡3,535

-21.68%

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

$376 ¥2,516

$490 ₡220.7K

-23.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥99.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.02 ¥167

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-53.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.00 ¥187

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-49.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.3 ¥383

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-27.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 ¥352

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-33.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,145

$786 ₡354.3K

-40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,716

$780 ₡351.6K

-67.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ¥5,472

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-78.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ¥3,580

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-61.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 ¥24.8K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-46.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,928 ¥12.9K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

60.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,277 ¥8,531

$876 ₡395.0K

45.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

8.62

-60.79%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chengdu

$257 34.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 204% $523

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$195 25.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 79.6% $155

Eating Out

Chengdu

$88 11.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 137% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 9.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 64.1% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 160% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$40 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 119% $47

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 196% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Chengdu versus $786 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 46% higher in Chengdu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Chengdu versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $350 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

23:00 11:00 PM

14 h behind Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

4,912

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chengdu Nosara 15,380 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
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

Chengdu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $734 in Chengdu, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 150% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Chengdu and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Chengdu and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $734 in Chengdu and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 150%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $734 in Chengdu to $1,837 in Nosara. 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 Chengdu. 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.