Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putian and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Putian 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 Putian and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $518 per month in Putian vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Putian $518
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $854 per month in Putian vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Putian $854
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,190 per month in Putian vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Putian $1,190
Nosara $3,814

Putian is about 72% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Putian sits 62% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.79

$12.34 ₡5,535

-82.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.26 ¥156

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-62.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.57

$7.76 ₡3,481

-33.38%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ¥16.32

$4.44 ₡1,992

-45.05%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.79 ₡803

-75.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.29 ₡580

-77.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$3.24 ₡1,451

-76.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$4.43 ₡1,985

-33.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.55 ₡696

-5.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$3.08 ₡1,380

-26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$2.53 ₡1,133

-63.24%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$3.45 ₡1,546

-54.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$7.32 ₡3,284

60.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ¥16.22

$10.24 ₡4,594

-76.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ¥81.4

$14.10 ₡6,326

-13.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.03

$2.29 ₡1,027

11.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$1.64 ₡737

-13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$4.79 ₡2,149

-64.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$1.64 ₡735

20.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$3.85 ₡1,727

-73.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$3.75 ₡1,681

-52.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$1.09 ₡488

-14.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$2.59 ₡1,160

-80.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.31

$5.12 ₡2,295

-40.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$19.92 ₡8,931

-43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.58

$2.80 ₡1,255

-70.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$3.52 ₡1,580

-51.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$1.22 ₡549

-39.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-69.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$2.17 ₡973

-29.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$1.56 ₡698

-81.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.94

$8.67 ₡3,886

-19.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.55 ₡697

-15.48%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-43.81%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-54.14%

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

$44.03 ¥294

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-53.56%

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

$8.87 ¥59.3

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-75.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-80.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 ¥67.4

$7.91 ₡3,548

27.43%

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

$492 ¥3,286

$490 ₡219.9K

0.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

105.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.10 ¥261

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-28.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ¥195

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-47.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ¥691

$80.4 ₡36.0K

28.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ¥573

$77.9 ₡34.9K

10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 ¥17.6K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-62.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ¥7,452

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-9.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 ¥3,211

$887 ₡397.6K

-45.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

8.62

-59.86%

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

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Putian

$215 41.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 62.4% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Putian

$116 22.4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 4.5% $5.2

Eating Out

Putian

$75 14.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 183% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putian

$63 12.3%

Nosara

$184 10% 190% $121

Getting Around

Putian

$28 5.5%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 214% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Putian

$20 * 3.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 345% $69

Accommodation & Living

Putian

- * 0%

Nosara

$790 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 85% 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 $23.00 in Putian versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $350 – making Putian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Putian

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

15:17 3:17 PM

14 h behind Putian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,954,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

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).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Putian Nosara 15,260 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Putian
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

Putian vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $518 in Putian, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 254% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $777 per month in Putian and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 230% less in Putian. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $492 per month in Putian and $490 in Nosara. 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 Putian, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Putian 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 $518 in Putian to $1,835 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 Putian. 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.