Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jingmen and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Jingmen: $741 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Jingmen
🇨🇳 China
$741
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $741 per month in Jingmen vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Jingmen $741
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,215 per month in Jingmen vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Jingmen $1,215
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,689 per month in Jingmen vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Jingmen $1,689
  • Nosara $3,818

Jingmen is about 60% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Jingmen sits 45% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jingmen
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.08 ¥20.58
$12.35 ₡5,539
-75.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.61 ¥151
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-63.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.11 ¥27.49
$7.52 ₡3,373
-45.35%
Cappuccino
$2.21 ¥14.76
$4.41 ₡1,978
-49.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 ¥2.90
$1.74 ₡780
-75.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ¥1.92
$1.31 ₡587
-77.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.86 ¥5.78
$3.28 ₡1,471
-73.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 ¥7.17
$4.47 ₡2,004
-76.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jingmen
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 ¥13.38
$1.56 ₡701
28.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 ¥11.94
$3.02 ₡1,355
-40.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 ¥6.89
$2.51 ₡1,125
-58.96%
Eggs
$1.67 ¥11.15
$3.57 ₡1,603
-53.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.15 ¥87.9
$7.43 ₡3,333
76.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.69 ¥24.66
$10.52 ₡4,717
-64.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.68 ¥91.4
$13.97 ₡6,265
-2.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 ¥14.73
$2.35 ₡1,052
-6.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.20 ¥8.03
$1.61 ₡720
-25.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 ¥9.45
$4.80 ₡2,152
-70.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.11 ¥7.40
$1.61 ₡724
-31.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ¥5.51
$3.80 ₡1,703
-78.42%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 ¥5.16
$3.69 ₡1,657
-79.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.38 ¥2.52
$1.13 ₡507
-66.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 ¥2.89
$2.66 ₡1,191
-83.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.53 ¥43.65
$5.18 ₡2,321
26.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.67 ¥98.1
$19.88 ₡8,916
-26.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 ¥5.00
$2.90 ₡1,300
-74.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 ¥13.61
$3.63 ₡1,626
-43.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Jingmen
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.32 ¥2.14
$1.12 ₡504
-71.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.67 ¥132
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-72.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.47 ¥9.82
$2.14 ₡958
-31.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 ¥1.91
$1.57 ₡703
-81.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.34 ¥29.03
$8.52 ₡3,823
-49.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.07 ¥7.17
$1.52 ₡682
-29.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ¥131.5K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-8.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.8K ¥112.5K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-51.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jingmen
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.6 ¥385
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-40.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.52 ¥50.3
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-79.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.70 ¥78.3
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-78.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jingmen
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.91 ¥300
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-37.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.76 ¥85.3
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-63.45%
Cinema Ticket
$5.35 ¥35.74
$7.89 ₡3,539
-32.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jingmen
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ¥2,505
$494 ₡221.6K
-24.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ¥79.3K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-0.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jingmen
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.4 ¥363
$53.9 ₡24.2K
0.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.37 ¥223
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-39.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.6 ¥405
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-22.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 ¥756
$79.6 ₡35.7K
42.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jingmen
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$277 ¥1,850
$788 ₡353.4K
-64.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$170 ¥1,134
$794 ₡356.2K
-78.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$664 ¥4,438
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-83.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$396 ¥2,648
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-72.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,203 ¥21.4K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-53.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,196 ¥14.7K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
79.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jingmen
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.31
8.62
-61.60%

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

Last update for Jingmen: 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
Jingmen
$225
Nosara
$352 56.7% $127
Accommodation & Living
Jingmen
$170
Nosara
$794 369% $625
Clothing & Footwear
Jingmen
$118
Nosara
$120 2.1% $2.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jingmen
$77
Nosara
$186 142% $109
Eating Out
Jingmen
$73
Nosara
$212 191% $139
Sport & Entertainment
Jingmen
$56
Nosara
$87 57.1% $32
Getting Around
Jingmen
$24
Nosara
$87 265% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Jingmen 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 $23.00 in Jingmen versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $352 – making Jingmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Jingmen
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
17:06 5:06 PM
03:06 3:06 AM
14 h behind Jingmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,873,687
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
  • Jingmen Nosara 15,070 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jingmen
  • 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
Jingmen vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Jingmen and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $741 in Jingmen, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 148% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Jingmen compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,112 per month in Jingmen 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 Jingmen and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Jingmen, 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 Jingmen and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Jingmen 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 57% 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 Jingmen, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Jingmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Jingmen and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $741 in Jingmen to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Jingmen 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 Jingmen and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Jingmen. 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.

Jingmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?