Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zhoushan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $620 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
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Zhoushan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zhoushan

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $620 in Zhoushan, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Zhoushan $620

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,005 in Zhoushan, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Zhoushan $1,005

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,390 in Zhoushan, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Zhoushan $1,390

Nosara costs about 197% more than Zhoushan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Zhoushan is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.39 ¥22.63

264.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$19.03 ¥127

221.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.07 ¥27.24

84.77%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.95 ¥19.74

49.49%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.46 ¥3.10

278.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.25 ¥1.66

424.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.77 ¥5.15

325.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.84 ¥12.32

142.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.83 ¥12.26

-14.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.07 ¥13.87

45.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.89 ¥5.95

182.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.06 ¥7.07

236.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.35 ¥89.2

-44.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.51 ¥23.45

199.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.96 ¥73.3

27.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.53 ¥10.26

53.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.22 ¥8.17

31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.45 ¥9.72

231.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.22 ¥8.13

31.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.58 ¥3.88

555.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.81 ¥5.42

355.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.63 ¥4.23

79.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.58 ¥3.90

358.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.30 ¥35.45

-2.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.80 ¥78.9

68.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.88 ¥5.89

229.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.14 ¥14.34

69.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.31 ¥2.10

261.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$15.13 ¥101

380.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.45 ¥9.71

47.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.42 ¥2.81

273.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.91 ¥59.6

-4.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.22 ¥8.13

24.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$19.4K ¥129.8K

11.35%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$16.4K ¥109.7K

110.40%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$36.17 ¥242

166.22%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.52 ¥77.0

211.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.25 ¥182

96.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$25.31 ¥169

182.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.45 ¥49.79

368.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.85 ¥39.10

34.87%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$440 ¥2,942

12.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.3K ¥108.7K

-27.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$34.64 ¥232

55.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$21.10 ¥141

162.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$65.4 ¥437

19.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$44.10 ¥295

80.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$329 ¥2,197

139.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$119 ¥797

566.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$745 ¥4,979

428.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$273 ¥1,827

419.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,953 ¥19.7K

134.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,009 ¥13.4K

-39.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$589 ¥3,935

46.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.13

175.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zhoushan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Zhoushan

$119 19.2% 85% $675

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Zhoushan

$209 33.8% 40.6% $143

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Zhoushan

$85 13.7% 59.8% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Zhoushan

$75 12.1% 59.7% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Zhoushan

$74 12% 38.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zhoushan

$37 6% 57.7% $50

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Zhoushan

$20 3.2% 77.1% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $329 in Zhoushan. 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 47% 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 $19.00 in Zhoushan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $209 – making Zhoushan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

13:37 1:37 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,157,817

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Zhoushan 14,660 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zhoushan

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 Zhoushan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $620 in Zhoushan – roughly 197% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $930 in Zhoushan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 380% less in Zhoushan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $440 in Zhoushan. 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 Zhoushan, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zhoushan 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 $620 in Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan. 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.