Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Shantou

For one person, living is cheaper in Shantou: $692 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Shantou
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Shantou Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Shantou

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Shantou

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $692 in Shantou, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Shantou $692

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,104 in Shantou, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Shantou $1,104

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,516 in Shantou, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Shantou $1,516

Nosara costs about 166% more than Shantou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Shantou is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,550

$2.29 ¥15.35

439.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$23.70 ¥158

158.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,379

$5.17 ¥34.59

45.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,982

$3.38 ¥22.63

30.47%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$0.47 ¥3.12

270.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.31 ¥2.05

322.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,474

$0.88 ¥5.92

272.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,008

$2.13 ¥14.28

109.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.60 ¥10.71

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,358

$1.45 ¥9.73

108.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$0.77 ¥5.18

225.97%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,606

$1.69 ¥11.33

111.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,340

$13.63 ¥91.1

-45.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,727

$3.43 ¥22.91

206.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,277

$13.16 ¥88.0

6.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$1.95 ¥13.03

20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.50 ¥10.05

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,156

$1.81 ¥12.14

165.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.30 ¥8.70

23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$0.82 ¥5.49

363.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$1.06 ¥7.11

248.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$0.59 ¥3.96

91.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.43 ¥2.88

518.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,326

$3.69 ¥24.71

40.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,934

$12.00 ¥80.2

65.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,303

$0.83 ¥5.57

249.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,629

$1.79 ¥11.98

102.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$0.36 ¥2.41

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$24.27 ¥162

199.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡960

$1.53 ¥10.24

39.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡705

$0.38 ¥2.56

313.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,830

$7.31 ¥48.86

16.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.23 ¥8.25

23.58%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$19.8K ¥132.4K

9.17%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.0K ¥120.5K

91.56%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$56.7 ¥379

69.94%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.89 ¥59.5

303.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$13.86 ¥92.7

286.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,546

$7.54 ¥50.5

4.64%

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

$494 ₡222.0K

$540 ¥3,614

-8.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$24.2K ¥162.1K

-51.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.6 ¥372

-3.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$39.70 ¥265

39.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$73.1 ¥489

6.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$91.4 ¥611

-12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.1K

$298 ¥1,991

164.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.9K

$151 ¥1,011

425.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$602 ¥4,027

554.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.7K

$294 ¥1,969

382.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,278 ¥15.2K

203.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.0K

$4,469 ¥29.9K

-72.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

$1,062 ¥7,099

-18.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.35

157.31%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shantou: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Shantou

$151 21.8% 81% $643

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Shantou

$214 31% 39.2% $138

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Shantou

$86 12.5% 59.3% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Shantou

$79 11.5% 57.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Shantou

$117 16.9% 2.7% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Shantou

$15 * 2.2% 82.7% $72

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Shantou

$29 4.2% 66.5% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $298 in Shantou. 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 23% higher in Shantou, 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 $24.00 in Shantou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $214 – making Shantou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇳 Shantou

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

16:51 4:51 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

5,389,328

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 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 Shantou 15,580 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Shantou

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 Shantou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $692 in Shantou – roughly 166% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,038 in Shantou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 199% less in Shantou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $540 in Shantou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shantou, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Shantou 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 $692 in Shantou to $1,839 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 Shantou. 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.