Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guiyang and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Guiyang: $716 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guiyang
🇨🇳 China
$716
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $716 per month in Guiyang vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Guiyang $716
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,134 per month in Guiyang vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Guiyang $1,134
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,553 per month in Guiyang vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Guiyang $1,553
  • Nosara $3,818

Guiyang is about 61% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Guiyang sits 47% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guiyang
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.84 ¥18.97
$12.35 ₡5,539
-77.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.82 ¥146
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-64.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.78 ¥31.98
$7.52 ₡3,373
-36.44%
Cappuccino
$2.95 ¥19.73
$4.41 ₡1,978
-33.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 ¥2.92
$1.74 ₡780
-74.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ¥1.96
$1.31 ₡587
-77.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.90 ¥6.01
$3.28 ₡1,471
-72.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 ¥13.86
$4.47 ₡2,004
-53.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guiyang
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 ¥12.10
$1.56 ₡701
16.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 ¥10.43
$3.02 ₡1,355
-48.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.97 ¥6.48
$2.51 ₡1,125
-61.35%
Eggs
$1.59 ¥10.65
$3.57 ₡1,603
-55.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.62 ¥84.4
$7.43 ₡3,333
69.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.28 ¥21.93
$10.52 ₡4,717
-68.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.06 ¥67.3
$13.97 ₡6,265
-27.99%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 ¥12.14
$2.35 ₡1,052
-22.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.20 ¥8.00
$1.61 ₡720
-25.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 ¥9.99
$4.80 ₡2,152
-68.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.11 ¥7.39
$1.61 ₡724
-31.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ¥4.61
$3.80 ₡1,703
-81.84%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 ¥6.06
$3.69 ₡1,657
-75.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 ¥3.71
$1.13 ₡507
-50.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ¥3.48
$2.66 ₡1,191
-80.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.16 ¥21.13
$5.18 ₡2,321
-39.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.37 ¥69.3
$19.88 ₡8,916
-47.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 ¥5.40
$2.90 ₡1,300
-72.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 ¥10.90
$3.63 ₡1,626
-55.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Guiyang
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.95
$1.12 ₡504
-74.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.97 ¥113
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-76.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.35 ¥9.03
$2.14 ₡958
-36.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ¥2.36
$1.57 ₡703
-77.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.60 ¥44.10
$8.52 ₡3,823
-22.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 ¥7.90
$1.52 ₡682
-22.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.2K ¥128.1K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-11.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.1K ¥114.6K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-50.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guiyang
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$45.97 ¥307
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-52.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.69 ¥64.8
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-73.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.79 ¥78.8
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-78.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guiyang
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.04 ¥274
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-42.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.92 ¥93.1
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-60.13%
Cinema Ticket
$6.08 ¥40.65
$7.89 ₡3,539
-22.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guiyang
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$331 ¥2,211
$494 ₡221.6K
-33.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.7K ¥111.6K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
40.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guiyang
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.28 ¥296
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-17.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.65 ¥205
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-44.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.0 ¥481
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-7.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.7 ¥473
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-11.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guiyang
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$278 ¥1,862
$788 ₡353.4K
-64.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$195 ¥1,307
$794 ₡356.2K
-75.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$581 ¥3,888
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-85.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$367 ¥2,451
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-74.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,040 ¥20.3K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-56.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,022 ¥13.5K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
65.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guiyang
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
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 Guiyang: 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
Guiyang
$197
Nosara
$352 79.2% $156
Accommodation & Living
Guiyang
$195
Nosara
$794 306% $599
Clothing & Footwear
Guiyang
$98
Nosara
$120 22.7% $22
Eating Out
Guiyang
$84
Nosara
$212 152% $128
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guiyang
$67
Nosara
$186 175% $118
Sport & Entertainment
Guiyang
$53
Nosara
$87 64.3% $34
Getting Around
Guiyang
$21
Nosara
$87 310% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Guiyang 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 $22.00 in Guiyang versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $352 – making Guiyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Guiyang
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:23 2:23 PM
00:23 12:23 AM
14 h behind Guiyang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,324,561
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guiyang Nosara 15,730 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Guiyang
  • 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
Guiyang vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Guiyang and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $716 in Guiyang, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 157% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Guiyang compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,074 per month in Guiyang and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Guiyang and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guiyang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Guiyang and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $331 per month in Guiyang and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 79% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Guiyang, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Guiyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Guiyang and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $716 in Guiyang to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Guiyang or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Guiyang and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Guiyang. 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.

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