Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $714 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
Learn more

Chongqing Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chongqing

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $714 in Chongqing, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Chongqing $714

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,168 in Chongqing, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Chongqing $1,168

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,622 in Chongqing, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Chongqing $1,622

Nosara costs about 157% more than Chongqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Chongqing is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$2.64 ¥17.67

362.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$22.05 ¥147

173.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$4.67 ¥31.20

61.46%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.06 ¥13.79

109.22%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.43 ¥2.90

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.31 ¥2.09

335.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.20 ¥8.02

170.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.75 ¥11.71

156.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.92 ¥12.85

-18.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.58 ¥10.56

100.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.64 ¥4.25

278.12%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.16 ¥14.42

65.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$17.55 ¥117

-57.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.37 ¥22.55

209.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.08 ¥67.4

35.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.56 ¥10.43

48.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.35 ¥9.01

19.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.25 ¥8.35

279.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.25 ¥8.32

32.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.61 ¥4.07

509.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.94 ¥6.31

279.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.87 ¥5.83

26.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.62 ¥4.13

311.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.07 ¥20.51

61.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.95 ¥59.8

123.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.76 ¥5.10

267.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.64 ¥10.93

115.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.39 ¥2.59

205.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$22.16 ¥148

225.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.53 ¥10.24

46.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.29 ¥1.91

434.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$2.96 ¥19.81

199.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.26 ¥8.44

24.60%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$19.5K ¥130.3K

11.83%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$16.8K ¥112.4K

105.92%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$44.19 ¥295

111.47%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$6.95 ¥46.43

405.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$7.17 ¥47.91

618.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$50.7 ¥339

40.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$10.64 ¥71.1

233.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.94 ¥39.71

31.99%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$290 ¥1,939

68.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$25.6K ¥171.0K

-53.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$39.88 ¥267

34.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$29.80 ¥199

87.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$64.8 ¥433

22.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$62.7 ¥419

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$418 ¥2,790

88.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$200 ¥1,338

289.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$880 ¥5,879

338.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$414 ¥2,767

239.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,681 ¥17.9K

160.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,705 ¥11.4K

-29.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,111 ¥7,423

-21.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.34

158.08%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Chongqing

$200 27.7% 74.3% $580

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Chongqing

$213 29.5% 39.1% $137

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Chongqing

$72 10% 65.4% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Chongqing

$58 8.1% 67.6% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Chongqing

$89 12.3% 26.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chongqing

$63 8.7% 28.2% $25

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chongqing

$27 3.7% 69.3% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $418 in Chongqing. 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 27% higher in Chongqing, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $22.00 in Chongqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $213 – making Chongqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

12:06 12:06 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,564,449

💱 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 = 0.133 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chongqing 15,430 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chongqing

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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 157%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,071 in Chongqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $290 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chongqing – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Chongqing. 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.