Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Changshu

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $707 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Changshu

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 Changshu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $707 in Changshu.

Nosara $1,837
Changshu $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,120 in Changshu.

Nosara $2,775
Changshu $1,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,532 in Changshu.

Nosara $3,712
Changshu $1,532

Living in Nosara is roughly 160% more expensive than in Changshu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Changshu is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,498

$2.71 ¥18.12

350.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$21.35 ¥143

181.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,391

$4.98 ¥33.30

51.41%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,937

$3.09 ¥20.67

39.48%

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

$1.72 ₡772

$0.43 ¥2.88

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡606

$0.27 ¥1.80

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,456

$0.94 ¥6.27

244.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,014

$2.06 ¥13.78

117.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.87 ¥12.49

-16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

$1.56 ¥10.44

103.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,089

$0.90 ¥6.03

168.89%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$1.54 ¥10.31

131.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,342

$12.88 ¥86.1

-42.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,687

$3.17 ¥21.16

228.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,143

$10.11 ¥67.5

35.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,042

$1.82 ¥12.19

27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.25 ¥8.33

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,133

$1.54 ¥10.29

207.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡746

$1.14 ¥7.64

45.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,675

$0.69 ¥4.60

439.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,608

$0.89 ¥5.98

301.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡496

$0.56 ¥3.76

96.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,147

$0.50 ¥3.37

410.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,227

$3.04 ¥20.35

62.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,001

$10.65 ¥71.2

87.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,253

$0.74 ¥4.97

277.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,586

$1.63 ¥10.91

116.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡536

$0.27 ¥1.78

340.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.4K

$16.85 ¥113

327.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,009

$1.37 ¥9.16

63.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡699

$0.35 ¥2.35

342.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,985

$6.82 ¥45.56

29.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡706

$1.14 ¥7.61

37.72%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

12.65%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$16.9K ¥113.2K

104.54%

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

$93.5 ₡42.0K

$44.92 ¥300

108.04%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$9.95 ¥66.5

252.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$11.63 ¥77.7

342.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.1K

$42.26 ¥282

68.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡15.9K

$13.67 ¥91.3

159.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,528

$5.88 ¥39.29

33.33%

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

$490 ₡220.2K

$340 ¥2,272

43.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.1K ¥114.4K

-30.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$43.35 ¥290

23.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$30.09 ¥201

85.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$70.8 ¥473

11.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.5K

$73.3 ¥490

7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡353.6K

$277 ¥1,853

183.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡350.8K

$192 ¥1,281

306.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$596 ¥3,986

547.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡633.0K

$355 ¥2,370

296.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,056 ¥20.4K

128.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡540.2K

$2,007 ¥13.4K

-40.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡394.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.89

121.59%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Changshu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Changshu

$192 26.8% 75.4% $588

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Changshu

$198 27.7% 43.4% $152

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Changshu

$85 12% 59.2% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Changshu

$67 9.3% 63.1% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Changshu

$98 13.7% 18.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Changshu

$54 7.6% 38% $33

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Changshu

$21 3% 75.8% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $277 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $21.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $198 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇳 Changshu

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

15:43 3:43 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,677,050

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Changshu 14,600 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Changshu

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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $1,061 in Changshu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $277 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $707 in Changshu – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $707 in Changshu versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Changshu 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 Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.