Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiayi: $1,067 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
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Chiayi Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,067 in Chiayi versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Chiayi $1,067
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,503 in Chiayi versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Chiayi $1,503
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Chiayi versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Chiayi $1,940
Nosara $3,818

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 42% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 21% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 NT$157

$12.35 ₡5,539

-60.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 NT$1,519

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-23.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 NT$185

$7.52 ₡3,373

-24.20%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NT$109

$4.41 ₡1,978

-23.81%

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

$0.88 NT$28.58

$1.74 ₡780

-49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.68

$1.31 ₡587

-48.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 NT$92.4

$3.28 ₡1,471

-13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 NT$123

$4.47 ₡2,004

-14.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$101

$1.56 ₡701

98.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 NT$66.8

$3.02 ₡1,355

-31.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 NT$98.6

$2.51 ₡1,125

21.12%

Eggs

$2.66 NT$86.3

$3.57 ₡1,603

-25.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.77 NT$641

$7.43 ₡3,333

166.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 NT$316

$10.52 ₡4,717

-7.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.98 NT$680

$13.97 ₡6,265

50.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 NT$158

$2.35 ₡1,052

107.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 NT$104

$1.61 ₡720

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$97.0

$4.80 ₡2,152

-37.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NT$148

$1.61 ₡724

182.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$90.9

$3.80 ₡1,703

-26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 NT$76.3

$3.69 ₡1,657

-36.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$54.3

$1.13 ₡507

48.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NT$37.04

$2.66 ₡1,191

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 NT$130

$5.18 ₡2,321

-22.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 NT$151

$19.88 ₡8,916

-76.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.7

$2.90 ₡1,300

-43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NT$70.8

$3.63 ₡1,626

-39.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 NT$403

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-82.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NT$85.5

$2.14 ₡958

23.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 NT$14.94

$1.57 ₡703

-70.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.66 NT$313

$8.52 ₡3,823

13.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.43

$1.52 ₡682

-30.26%

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

$32.9K NT$1.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

52.03%

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

$24.5K NT$795.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.90%

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

$66.7 NT$2,164

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-30.69%

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

$17.52 NT$568

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-51.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.93 NT$873

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-49.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 NT$1,032

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-55.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 NT$319

$7.89 ₡3,539

24.71%

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

$660 NT$21.4K

$494 ₡221.6K

33.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$543.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

41.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 NT$2,020

$53.9 ₡24.2K

15.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 NT$1,279

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-28.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 NT$2,763

$77.9 ₡34.9K

9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,383

$79.6 ₡35.7K

31.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 NT$12.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

-53.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,194

$794 ₡356.2K

-68.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,179 NT$103.1K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-54.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 NT$61.9K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

56.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,110 NT$68.4K

$864 ₡387.3K

144.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

8.62

-72.16%

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

Last update for Chiayi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chiayi

$379 35.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 7.1% $27

Accommodation & Living

Chiayi

$253 23.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 214% $542

Clothing & Footwear

Chiayi

$131 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 8.4% $11

Eating Out

Chiayi

$124 11.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 70.6% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiayi

$111 10.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 67.1% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chiayi

$51 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 69.7% $36

Getting Around

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 402% $70

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $369 in Chiayi and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 144% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Chiayi vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $352, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

22:28 10:28 PM

14 h behind Chiayi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,874

4,912

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiayi Nosara 15,330 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiayi
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

Chiayi vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 144% higher in Chiayi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $369 in Chiayi versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,067 per month in Chiayi versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 484% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,067 in Chiayi versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiayi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,067 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiayi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.