Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foshan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Foshan versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Foshan $777
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,242 in Foshan versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Foshan $1,242
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,708 in Foshan versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Foshan $1,708
Nosara $3,818

Living in Foshan costs roughly 58% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Foshan is 42% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ¥25.26

$12.35 ₡5,550

-69.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.79 ¥152

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-62.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.20

$7.52 ₡3,379

-32.05%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥20.51

$4.41 ₡1,982

-30.39%

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

$0.52 ¥3.49

$1.74 ₡781

-70.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$1.31 ₡588

-76.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$3.28 ₡1,474

-62.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$4.47 ₡2,008

-57.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ¥11.11

$1.56 ₡702

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$3.02 ₡1,358

-62.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$2.51 ₡1,127

-63.35%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.38

$3.57 ₡1,606

-52.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 ¥112

$7.43 ₡3,340

124.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ¥26.18

$10.52 ₡4,727

-62.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 ¥71.5

$13.97 ₡6,277

-23.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ¥20.16

$2.35 ₡1,054

28.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.61 ₡721

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.69

$4.80 ₡2,156

-60.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.92

$1.61 ₡725

1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$3.80 ₡1,706

-71.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.39

$3.69 ₡1,660

-74.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.26

$1.13 ₡508

-43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$2.66 ₡1,193

-81.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ¥14.90

$5.18 ₡2,326

-56.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ¥68.4

$19.88 ₡8,934

-48.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$2.90 ₡1,303

-67.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.13

$3.63 ₡1,629

-58.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.12 ₡505

-72.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 ¥71.0

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-85.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$2.14 ₡960

-28.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$1.57 ₡705

-70.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ¥58.9

$8.52 ₡3,830

3.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.19

$1.52 ₡683

-19.74%

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

$21.3K ¥142.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-1.51%

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

$16.2K ¥108.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-53.08%

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

$84.5 ¥565

$96.3 ₡43.3K

-12.22%

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

$7.92 ¥53.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-77.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.69 ¥105

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-70.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ¥477

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-0.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.83 ¥159

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-31.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ¥35.51

$7.89 ₡3,546

-32.70%

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

$457 ¥3,055

$494 ₡222.0K

-7.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ¥155.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

96.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.21 ¥282

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-21.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.76 ¥125

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-66.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 ¥415

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-20.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 ¥614

$79.6 ₡35.8K

15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ¥2,032

$788 ₡354.1K

-61.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ¥1,061

$794 ₡356.9K

-80.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,983

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-84.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ¥2,280

$1,419 ₡637.7K

-75.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 ¥28.9K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-37.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 ¥12.5K

$1,224 ₡550.0K

52.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$802 ¥5,363

$864 ₡388.0K

-7.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

8.62

-55.57%

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

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Foshan

$220 28.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 59.9% $132

Accommodation & Living

Foshan

$159 20.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 401% $636

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foshan

$108 13.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 71.8% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Foshan

$97 12.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 24.2% $23

Eating Out

Foshan

$96 12.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 122% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Foshan

$82 10.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 6.6% $5.4

Getting Around

Foshan

$16 2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 453% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $304 in Foshan and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Foshan vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $352 per month, with Foshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Foshan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

14 h behind Foshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,498,863

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

Foshan Nosara 15,810 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Foshan
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

Foshan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $304 in Foshan versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 584% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Foshan versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $777 in Foshan versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foshan 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, Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.