Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Putian

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Putian

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $518 in Putian, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Putian $518

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $854 in Putian, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Putian $854

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,190 in Putian, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Putian $1,190

Nosara costs about 254% more than Putian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Putian is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$2.21 ¥14.79

458.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$23.26 ¥156

163.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$5.17 ¥34.57

50.10%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.44 ¥16.32

81.97%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.43 ¥2.88

316.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.29 ¥1.92

344.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$0.77 ¥5.16

320.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.93 ¥19.58

51.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.47 ¥9.82

5.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.25 ¥15.07

36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$0.93 ¥6.19

172.04%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.58 ¥10.58

118.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.73 ¥78.4

-37.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$2.43 ¥16.22

321.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$12.18 ¥81.4

15.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.55 ¥17.03

-10.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.42 ¥9.49

15.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.70 ¥11.34

181.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.98 ¥13.25

-17.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.02 ¥6.79

277.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.77 ¥11.86

111.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.93 ¥6.19

17.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.50 ¥3.36

418.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.04 ¥20.31

68.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$11.18 ¥74.8

78.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$0.83 ¥5.58

237.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.71 ¥11.44

105.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.74 ¥4.92

64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$22.38 ¥150

230.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.52 ¥10.16

42.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.29 ¥1.94

437.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$7.02 ¥46.94

23.50%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

77.96%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$17.8K ¥118.8K

118.08%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$44.03 ¥294

115.35%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$8.87 ¥59.3

307.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$10.55 ¥70.6

402.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$10.08 ¥67.4

-21.53%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$492 ¥3,286

-0.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$24.5K ¥163.6K

-51.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$39.10 ¥261

40.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$29.11 ¥195

91.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$103 ¥691

-22.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$85.7 ¥573

-9.14%

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

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,637 ¥17.6K

167.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,115 ¥7,452

10.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$480 ¥3,211

84.59%

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 Putian: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Putian

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Putian

$215 41.6% 38.4% $134

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Putian

$75 14.5% 64.7% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Putian

$63 12.3% 65.5% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Putian

$116 22.4% 4.3% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Putian

$20 * 3.9% 77.5% $69

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Putian

$28 5.5% 68.1% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 85% 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 Putian. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $215 – making Putian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇳 Putian

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

08:42 8:42 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,954,000

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Putian 15,260 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Putian

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 Putian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $518 in Putian – roughly 254% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $777 in Putian. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 230% less in Putian. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $492 in Putian. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Putian, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Putian 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 $518 in Putian 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 Putian. 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.