Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Xiamen

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiamen: $842 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Xiamen
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Xiamen Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Xiamen

🇨🇳 China

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Xiamen

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $842 in Xiamen, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Xiamen $842

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,338 in Xiamen, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Xiamen $1,338

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,835 in Xiamen, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Xiamen $1,835

Nosara costs about 118% more than Xiamen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.01 ¥20.10

305.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$23.67 ¥158

154.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.36 ¥35.85

40.67%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.51 ¥16.78

71.71%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.47 ¥3.14

265.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.35 ¥2.37

285.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.47 ¥9.86

120.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.99 ¥19.97

49.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.46 ¥9.78

7.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.27 ¥15.20

39.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.98 ¥6.55

146.94%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.63 ¥10.92

119.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.95 ¥79.9

-37.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$2.52 ¥16.83

313.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.73 ¥78.4

16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.55 ¥17.05

-9.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.47 ¥9.85

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.66 ¥11.09

185.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.97 ¥13.19

-15.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.03 ¥6.86

261.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.82 ¥12.18

96.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.91 ¥6.05

20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.49 ¥3.31

420.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.06 ¥20.47

61.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.22 ¥75.0

78.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.81 ¥5.40

244.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.70 ¥11.37

107.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.16 ¥1.07

643.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$12.10 ¥80.9

495.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.47 ¥9.82

52.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.29 ¥1.92

434.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$7.34 ¥49.07

20.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.31 ¥8.78

19.85%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$19.3K ¥128.8K

13.16%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$17.3K ¥115.4K

100.58%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$44.42 ¥297

110.38%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$8.81 ¥58.9

298.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$10.23 ¥68.3

403.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$48.22 ¥322

48.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$10.59 ¥70.8

234.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.22 ¥68.3

-23.29%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$488 ¥3,264

0.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$24.1K ¥161.3K

-50.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$38.84 ¥260

37.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$28.49 ¥190

95.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$105 ¥703

-24.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$84.5 ¥565

-6.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$342 ¥2,283

130.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$269 ¥1,798

189.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$825 ¥5,511

368.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$547 ¥3,655

157.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$8,597 ¥57.5K

-18.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$4,684 ¥31.3K

-74.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,138 ¥7,607

-23.02%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Xiamen

$269 32.2% 65.5% $511

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Xiamen

$216 25.8% 38.3% $134

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Xiamen

$87 10.4% 58.5% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Xiamen

$63 7.6% 64.8% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Xiamen

$116 13.9% 3.9% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Xiamen

$69 8.2% 21.1% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Xiamen

$16 1.9% 82% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $342 in Xiamen. 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 30% higher in Xiamen, 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 $24.00 in Xiamen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $216 – making Xiamen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇳 Xiamen

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

16:51 4:51 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,531,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Xiamen 15,400 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Xiamen

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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $842 in Xiamen – roughly 118% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,263 in Xiamen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 496% less in Xiamen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $488 in Xiamen. 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 Xiamen, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Xiamen 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 $842 in Xiamen to $1,837 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 Xiamen. 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.