Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chang-hua

For one person, living is cheaper in Chang-hua: $864 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
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Chang-hua Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chang-hua

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Chang-hua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $864 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Chang-hua $864

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,343 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Chang-hua $1,343

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,822 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Chang-hua $1,822

Nosara costs about 113% more than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.83 NT$124

222.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$32.76 NT$1,062

86.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.53 NT$179

35.99%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.63 NT$52.7

170.55%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.96 NT$30.99

81.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.56 NT$18.01

133.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.36 NT$44.21

141.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.17 NT$70.3

105.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.38 NT$77.1

-34.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.07 NT$67.2

45.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.94 NT$95.5

-14.63%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.76 NT$89.5

29.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$16.19 NT$525

-54.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.51 NT$308

10.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$21.23 NT$688

-34.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.82 NT$156

-51.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.38 NT$110

-52.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.93 NT$95.1

63.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.17 NT$103

-49.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.77 NT$89.8

37.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.11 NT$68.4

74.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.69 NT$54.9

-33.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.77 NT$24.97

245.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.96 NT$128

30.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.43 NT$306

110.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.38 NT$44.70

110.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.29 NT$74.4

58.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.55 NT$50.4

-27.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$34.80 NT$1,129

108.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.65 NT$85.9

-19.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.76 NT$24.71

106.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$9.29 NT$301

-8.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.06 NT$34.39

43.40%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$33.1K NT$1.1M

-34.79%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.3K NT$787.5K

42.14%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$31.62 NT$1,025

204.52%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.99 NT$551

111.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$18.71 NT$607

186.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$31.75 NT$1,029

125.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.38 NT$304

-15.88%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$636 NT$20.6K

-22.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,946 NT$257.7K

49.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$49.35 NT$1,600

9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$15.47 NT$502

258.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$78.1 NT$2,534

-0.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$49.57 NT$1,607

60.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$252 NT$8,160

213.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$170 NT$5,528

366.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$509 NT$16.5K

674.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$169 NT$5,480

739.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,959 NT$96.0K

133.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,631 NT$52.9K

-24.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,011 NT$65.2K

-57.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.2

291.82%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Chang-hua

$170 19.7% 78.5% $624

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Chang-hua

$358 41.4% 1.6% $5.7

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Chang-hua

$84 9.7% 60.4% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Chang-hua

$67 7.8% 63.8% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Chang-hua

$87 10% 27.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chang-hua

$51 5.8% 42.2% $37

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Chang-hua

$47 5.5% 45.5% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $252 in Chang-hua. 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 133% higher in Chang-hua, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $33.00 in Chang-hua. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $358 in Chang-hua – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

08:35 8:35 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

226,564

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chang-hua 15,280 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chang-hua

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

Nosara vs Chang-hua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 113% more than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,296 in Chang-hua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chang-hua, 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 $1,839 in Nosara and $864 in Chang-hua. That's a gap of about 113%.

Public transport costs about 109% less in Chang-hua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chang-hua, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Chang-hua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chang-hua costs $864 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chang-hua. 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.