Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Yangshuo

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangshuo: $713 a month against $1,839 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
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Nosara Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Yangshuo
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Yangshuo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Yangshuo

🇨🇳 China

$713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Yangshuo

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $713 in Yangshuo, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Yangshuo $713

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,130 in Yangshuo, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Yangshuo $1,130

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,548 in Yangshuo, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Yangshuo $1,548

Nosara costs about 158% more than Yangshuo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Yangshuo is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.80 ¥18.73

341.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$21.83 ¥146

180.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.91 ¥32.80

53.16%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.06 ¥20.45

44.12%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.47 ¥3.12

270.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.29 ¥1.95

351.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.90 ¥5.99

264.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.04 ¥13.62

119.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.82 ¥12.14

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.60 ¥10.68

88.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.95 ¥6.33

164.21%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.54 ¥10.29

131.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.67 ¥84.7

-41.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.14 ¥20.99

235.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.02 ¥67.0

39.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.87 ¥12.49

25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.20 ¥8.02

34.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.48 ¥9.88

224.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.15 ¥7.70

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.70 ¥4.67

442.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.91 ¥6.10

305.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.60 ¥4.03

88.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.51 ¥3.41

421.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.04 ¥20.34

70.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.74 ¥71.8

85.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.80 ¥5.38

262.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.65 ¥11.01

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.29 ¥1.94

286.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$16.88 ¥113

330.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.35 ¥9.05

58.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.33 ¥2.18

375.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.61 ¥44.22

28.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.18 ¥7.91

28.81%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$19.3K ¥129.1K

11.90%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.4K ¥116.2K

98.69%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$45.58 ¥305

111.25%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.73 ¥65.0

268.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$11.52 ¥77.0

365.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$41.10 ¥275

74.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.85 ¥92.6

152.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.87 ¥39.27

34.41%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$339 ¥2,270

45.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.0K ¥113.8K

-30.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$44.49 ¥297

21.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.94 ¥207

79.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$72.5 ¥485

7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$71.1 ¥475

12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$280 ¥1,870

181.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$191 ¥1,274

316.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$581 ¥3,881

578.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$358 ¥2,394

296.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,087 ¥20.6K

123.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,990 ¥13.3K

-38.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.89

121.59%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Yangshuo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Yangshuo

$191 26.8% 76% $604

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Yangshuo

$197 27.7% 44% $155

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Yangshuo

$85 12% 59.7% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Yangshuo

$67 9.4% 64% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Yangshuo

$99 13.8% 17.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Yangshuo

$53 7.4% 39.5% $35

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Yangshuo

$21 3% 75.9% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $280 in Yangshuo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $22.00 in Yangshuo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $197 – making Yangshuo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇳 Yangshuo

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

15:35 3:35 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

300,000

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 →

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Between locations

Nosara Yangshuo 15,770 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Yangshuo

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 Yangshuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $713 in Yangshuo – roughly 158% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,069 in Yangshuo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 330% less in Yangshuo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $339 in Yangshuo. 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 Yangshuo, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Yangshuo 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 $713 in Yangshuo 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 Yangshuo. 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.