Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in New Taipei City: $1,211 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in New Taipei City
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New Taipei City Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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New Taipei City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,211

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,211 in New Taipei City versus $1,839 in Nosara.

New Taipei City $1,211
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,026 in New Taipei City versus $2,828 in Nosara.

New Taipei City $2,026
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,841 in New Taipei City versus $3,818 in Nosara.

New Taipei City $2,841
Nosara $3,818

Living in New Taipei City costs roughly 34% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Taipei City is 10% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 NT$155

$12.35 ₡5,539

-61.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.06 NT$1,007

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-49.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 NT$163

$7.52 ₡3,373

-33.24%

Cappuccino

$2.27 NT$73.5

$4.41 ₡1,978

-48.53%

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

$0.88 NT$28.40

$1.74 ₡780

-49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$18.22

$1.31 ₡587

-57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 NT$51.3

$3.28 ₡1,471

-51.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 NT$83.4

$4.47 ₡2,004

-42.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 NT$102

$1.56 ₡701

100.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 NT$58.6

$3.02 ₡1,355

-40.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 NT$70.5

$2.51 ₡1,125

-13.55%

Eggs

$2.20 NT$71.3

$3.57 ₡1,603

-38.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.39 NT$791

$7.43 ₡3,333

228.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 NT$343

$10.52 ₡4,717

0.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.26 NT$625

$13.97 ₡6,265

37.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 NT$129

$2.35 ₡1,052

69.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NT$82.4

$1.61 ₡720

57.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 NT$86.8

$4.80 ₡2,152

-44.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 NT$129

$1.61 ₡724

147.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 NT$132

$3.80 ₡1,703

6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 NT$66.7

$3.69 ₡1,657

-44.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 NT$52.4

$1.13 ₡507

42.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NT$35.18

$2.66 ₡1,191

-59.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 NT$140

$5.18 ₡2,321

-16.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 NT$296

$19.88 ₡8,916

-54.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$45.09

$2.90 ₡1,300

-52.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$78.4

$3.63 ₡1,626

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.53

$1.12 ₡504

-26.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.86 NT$1,195

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-49.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 NT$91.4

$2.14 ₡958

31.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 NT$29.96

$1.57 ₡703

-41.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.46 NT$307

$8.52 ₡3,823

11.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.44

$1.52 ₡682

-34.21%

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

53.89%

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

$24.5K NT$793.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.14%

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

$114 NT$3,682

$96.3 ₡43.2K

17.90%

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

$16.72 NT$542

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-53.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 NT$746

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-57.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.40 NT$1,245

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-46.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 NT$261

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-76.97%

Cinema Ticket

$12.49 NT$405

$7.89 ₡3,539

58.30%

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

$639 NT$20.7K

$494 ₡221.6K

29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K NT$696.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

81.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 NT$1,155

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-33.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.90 NT$1,002

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-44.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 NT$3,000

$77.9 ₡34.9K

18.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NT$3,247

$79.6 ₡35.7K

25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 NT$20.8K

$788 ₡353.4K

-18.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 NT$11.3K

$794 ₡356.2K

-56.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 NT$45.6K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-64.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$927 NT$30.0K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-34.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K NT$402.0K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

79.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,282 NT$236.1K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

494.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,418 NT$46.0K

$864 ₡387.3K

64.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.81

8.62

-67.40%

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

Last update for New Taipei City: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

New Taipei City

$382 31.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 7.9% $30

Accommodation & Living

New Taipei City

$348 28.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 128% $446

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Taipei City

$153 12.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 21.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

New Taipei City

$117 9.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3% $3.5

Eating Out

New Taipei City

$99 8.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 114% $113

Sport & Entertainment

New Taipei City

$63 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 37.8% $24

Getting Around

New Taipei City

$48 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 83.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $641 in New Taipei City and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Taipei City pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in New Taipei City vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $352, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 New Taipei City

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

16:54 4:54 PM

14 h behind New Taipei City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,004,367

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

New Taipei City Nosara 15,150 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

New Taipei City
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

New Taipei City vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Taipei City and Nosara differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,211 vs $1,839 including rent). New Taipei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% higher in New Taipei City, 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: $641 in New Taipei City versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,211 per month in New Taipei City versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in New Taipei City runs roughly 97% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,211 in New Taipei City versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in New Taipei City but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes New Taipei City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, New Taipei City 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 New Taipei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.