Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pingtung city and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Pingtung city: $909 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Pingtung city
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Pingtung city Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Pingtung city

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$909

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pingtung city and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pingtung city and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $909 per month in Pingtung city vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Pingtung city $909
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,474 per month in Pingtung city vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Pingtung city $1,474
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,038 per month in Pingtung city vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Pingtung city $2,038
Nosara $3,818

Pingtung city is about 51% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Pingtung city sits 33% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 NT$179

$12.35 ₡5,539

-55.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.64 NT$1,026

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-48.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 NT$153

$7.52 ₡3,373

-37.37%

Cappuccino

$2.87 NT$93.1

$4.41 ₡1,978

-34.92%

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

$0.98 NT$31.82

$1.74 ₡780

-43.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 NT$21.92

$1.31 ₡587

-48.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 NT$49.83

$3.28 ₡1,471

-53.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$81.6

$4.47 ₡2,004

-43.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.22 NT$104

$1.56 ₡701

106.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 NT$62.0

$3.02 ₡1,355

-36.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.2

$2.51 ₡1,125

3.59%

Eggs

$2.65 NT$86.0

$3.57 ₡1,603

-25.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.60 NT$506

$7.43 ₡3,333

109.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.06 NT$261

$10.52 ₡4,717

-23.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.09 NT$489

$13.97 ₡6,265

8.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 NT$140

$2.35 ₡1,052

84.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 NT$60.7

$1.61 ₡720

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 NT$80.8

$4.80 ₡2,152

-48.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 NT$104

$1.61 ₡724

98.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 NT$38.37

$3.80 ₡1,703

-68.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NT$62.7

$3.69 ₡1,657

-47.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NT$75.6

$1.13 ₡507

106.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$27.60

$2.66 ₡1,191

-68.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 NT$123

$5.18 ₡2,321

-26.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 NT$500

$19.88 ₡8,916

-22.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 NT$50.2

$2.90 ₡1,300

-46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$72.5

$3.63 ₡1,626

-38.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 NT$15.89

$1.12 ₡504

-56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$87.5

$2.14 ₡958

26.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$24.04

$1.57 ₡703

-52.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 NT$207

$8.52 ₡3,823

-24.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.32

$1.52 ₡682

-32.24%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

57.65%

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

$23.0K NT$746.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-33.34%

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

$111 NT$3,590

$96.3 ₡43.2K

14.97%

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

$15.11 NT$490

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-57.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 NT$833

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-52.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 NT$311

$7.89 ₡3,539

21.42%

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

$344 NT$11.2K

$494 ₡221.6K

-30.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$453.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

17.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 NT$2,297

$53.9 ₡24.2K

31.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.23 NT$1,013

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-43.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 NT$2,670

$77.9 ₡34.9K

5.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,359

$79.6 ₡35.7K

30.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 NT$8,018

$788 ₡353.4K

-68.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 NT$5,023

$794 ₡356.2K

-80.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 NT$24.2K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 NT$12.2K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-73.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,912 NT$62.0K

$864 ₡387.3K

121.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

8.62

-73.67%

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

Last update for Pingtung city: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pingtung city

$334 36.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 5.6% $19

Accommodation & Living

Pingtung city

$155 17%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 413% $639

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pingtung city

$152 16.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 22.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Pingtung city

$130 14.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 7.3% $9.5

Eating Out

Pingtung city

$112 12.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 89% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Pingtung city

$19 * 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 356% $68

Getting Around

Pingtung city

$8.4 * 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 942% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $247 in Pingtung city versus $788 in Nosara. 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 121% higher in Pingtung city, 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 $32.00 in Pingtung city versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $352 – making Pingtung city the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Pingtung city

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

17:57 5:57 PM

14 h behind Pingtung city

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

201,644

4,912

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pingtung city Nosara 15,400 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Pingtung city
Nosara

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

Pingtung city vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $909 in Pingtung city, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,364 per month in Pingtung city and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Pingtung city and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pingtung city, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pingtung city 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 $909 in Pingtung city 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 Pingtung city. 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.