Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mianyang, Sichuan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan: $646 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Mianyang, Sichuan
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Mianyang, Sichuan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 China

$646

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $646 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $646
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $998 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $998
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,350 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $1,350
Nosara $3,818

Mianyang, Sichuan is about 65% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mianyang, Sichuan sits 52% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.51

$12.35 ₡5,547

-76.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.81 ¥119

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-70.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥32.70

$7.52 ₡3,377

-34.97%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.86

$4.41 ₡1,981

-32.65%

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

$0.43 ¥2.89

$1.74 ₡781

-75.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$1.31 ₡588

-78.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$3.28 ₡1,473

-55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.09

$4.47 ₡2,007

-49.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.13

$1.56 ₡702

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.33

$3.02 ₡1,357

-48.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$2.51 ₡1,127

-60.56%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.83

$3.57 ₡1,605

-54.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 ¥97.3

$7.43 ₡3,338

95.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.42

$10.52 ₡4,724

-65.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 ¥73.2

$13.97 ₡6,274

-21.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.93

$2.35 ₡1,054

-23.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.77

$1.61 ₡721

-18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.07

$4.80 ₡2,155

-77.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.66

$1.61 ₡725

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$3.80 ₡1,706

-81.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.83

$3.69 ₡1,659

-80.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.13 ₡507

-48.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$2.66 ₡1,193

-78.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.76

$5.18 ₡2,324

-28.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.56 ¥30.46

$19.88 ₡8,929

-77.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.57

$2.90 ₡1,302

-71.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 ¥8.68

$3.63 ₡1,628

-64.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.12 ₡505

-74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ¥7.14

$2.14 ₡959

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.74

$1.57 ₡704

-83.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 ¥30.57

$8.52 ₡3,828

-46.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.52 ₡683

-17.76%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-9.14%

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

$17.4K ¥116.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-49.57%

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

$47.71 ¥319

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-50.45%

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

$6.41 ¥42.80

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-82.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 ¥83.6

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-76.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.89 ¥120

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-75.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ¥38.89

$7.89 ₡3,544

-26.24%

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

$366 ¥2,446

$494 ₡221.9K

-25.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥98.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

24.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.80 ¥166

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-54.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.86 ¥186

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-49.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.0 ¥388

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-25.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 ¥356

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-33.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,508

$788 ₡353.9K

-71.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ¥1,291

$794 ₡356.7K

-75.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥2,747

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-89.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥2,226

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-76.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 ¥18.1K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-60.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,816 ¥12.1K

$1,224 ₡549.8K

48.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 ¥4,890

$864 ₡387.8K

-15.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

8.62

-64.04%

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

Last update for Mianyang, Sichuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mianyang, Sichuan

$193 29.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 311% $601

Groceries & Markets

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 84% $161

Eating Out

Mianyang, Sichuan

$88 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 140% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Mianyang, Sichuan

$74 11.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 62.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mianyang, Sichuan

$67 10.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 179% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Mianyang, Sichuan

$30 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 196% $58

Getting Around

Mianyang, Sichuan

$3.5 * 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 2382% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Mianyang, Sichuan 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.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Mianyang, Sichuan versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $352 – making Mianyang, Sichuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

05:29 5:29 AM

14 h behind Mianyang, Sichuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,868,243

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 = 2.23 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mianyang, Sichuan Nosara 15,280 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Mianyang, Sichuan
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

Mianyang, Sichuan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 184% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 184%.

Kindergarten costs $366 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mianyang, Sichuan, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Mianyang, Sichuan 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 $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan to $1,839 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 Mianyang, Sichuan. 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.