Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Longyan

For one person, living is cheaper in Longyan: $462 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Longyan
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Longyan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Longyan

🇨🇳 China

$462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Longyan

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $462 in Longyan, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Longyan $462

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $750 in Longyan, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Longyan $750

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,038 in Longyan, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Longyan $1,038

Nosara costs about 297% more than Longyan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Longyan is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$2.95 ¥19.74

318.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$22.57 ¥151

171.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$4.96 ¥33.19

56.45%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.20 ¥14.72

101.82%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.44 ¥2.94

306.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.27 ¥1.79

377.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$0.88 ¥5.87

268.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$1.60 ¥10.68

176.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.08 ¥13.90

-25.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.42 ¥9.47

116.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$0.78 ¥5.22

224.36%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.48 ¥9.90

133.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$7.63 ¥51.0

-4.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$2.18 ¥14.61

369.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$8.99 ¥60.1

56.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.89 ¥12.63

21.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.34 ¥8.95

22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.77 ¥11.83

170.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.12 ¥7.48

46.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.89 ¥5.97

332.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.01 ¥6.75

271.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.43 ¥2.90

153.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.48 ¥3.21

439.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.42 ¥22.85

49.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$12.16 ¥81.3

63.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$0.78 ¥5.21

258.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.18 ¥7.89

198.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.16 ¥1.08

662.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.06 ¥7.10

104.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.47 ¥3.12

231.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$7.57 ¥50.6

14.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.31 ¥8.76

18.32%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.3K ¥129.1K

78.94%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$15.6K ¥104.3K

148.49%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$66.3 ¥443

43.00%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$15.68 ¥105

130.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$8.86 ¥59.3

498.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$4.40 ¥29.44

709.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.61 ¥50.9

3.94%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$213 ¥1,425

130.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.7K ¥78.4K

1.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$29.86 ¥200

83.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$14.92 ¥99.8

274.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$76.0 ¥508

5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$98.4 ¥658

-20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$377 ¥2,518

963.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,338 ¥8,949

-7.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$485 ¥3,243

82.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.46

149.13%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Longyan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Longyan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Longyan

$178 38.5% 49.2% $172

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Longyan

$75 16.3% 64.6% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Longyan

$91 19.7% 50.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Longyan

$99 21.4% 18.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Longyan

$15 * 3.3% 83% $74

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Longyan

$4 * 0.9% 95.4% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 83% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $23.00 in Longyan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $178 – making Longyan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇳 Longyan

🕒 Local time

20:58 8:58 PM

10:58 10:58 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,559,545

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Longyan 15,410 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Longyan

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 Longyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $462 in Longyan – roughly 297% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $693 in Longyan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $23.00 in Longyan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 97% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Longyan, where all-in costs run around $462, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Longyan 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 $462 in Longyan to $1,835 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 Longyan. 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.