Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Taichung: $1,143 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,143

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,143 per month in Taichung vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Taichung $1,143
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,887 per month in Taichung vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Taichung $1,887
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,631 per month in Taichung vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Taichung $2,631
Nosara $3,712

Taichung is about 38% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Taichung sits 15% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.68 NT$149

$12.22 ₡5,509

-61.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.12 NT$1,025

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-46.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$155

$7.54 ₡3,399

-35.68%

Cappuccino

$2.75 NT$87.6

$4.31 ₡1,941

-36.19%

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

$1.03 NT$32.80

$1.72 ₡773

-40.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.56

$1.35 ₡608

-45.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.69

$3.24 ₡1,459

-51.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$88.7

$4.48 ₡2,018

-37.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 NT$104

$1.57 ₡707

108.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.2

$3.17 ₡1,429

-44.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 NT$84.7

$2.42 ₡1,091

9.92%

Eggs

$2.62 NT$83.7

$3.57 ₡1,609

-26.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.33 NT$936

$7.43 ₡3,349

294.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 NT$259

$10.42 ₡4,697

-21.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 NT$547

$13.66 ₡6,156

25.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$135

$2.32 ₡1,044

81.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NT$61.3

$1.61 ₡728

19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$95.3

$4.74 ₡2,138

-36.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$1.66 ₡747

29.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.28

$3.72 ₡1,679

-67.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.9

$3.57 ₡1,611

-44.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 NT$76.7

$1.10 ₡497

118.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.80

$2.55 ₡1,149

-64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 NT$120

$4.95 ₡2,232

-24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 NT$495

$20.01 ₡9,020

-22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$52.3

$2.79 ₡1,256

-41.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.8

$3.53 ₡1,589

-30.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 NT$23.05

$1.19 ₡537

-39.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.97 NT$1,020

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-55.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$86.1

$2.24 ₡1,011

20.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 NT$29.49

$1.55 ₡701

-40.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$307

$8.86 ₡3,993

8.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.76

$1.57 ₡708

-34.39%

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

$33.0K NT$1.1M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

51.51%

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

$22.7K NT$725.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-34.32%

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

$127 NT$4,037

$93.5 ₡42.1K

35.38%

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

$14.84 NT$474

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-57.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 NT$670

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-59.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 NT$1,052

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-53.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 NT$371

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-67.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 NT$320

$7.84 ₡3,535

27.81%

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

$347 NT$11.1K

$490 ₡220.7K

-29.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$537.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

41.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 NT$2,314

$53.5 ₡24.1K

35.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.93 NT$1,147

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-35.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 NT$2,738

$79.3 ₡35.7K

8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NT$3,727

$78.9 ₡35.6K

48.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 NT$12.6K

$786 ₡354.3K

-49.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 NT$8,722

$780 ₡351.6K

-64.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NT$38.8K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NT$24.7K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-44.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,642 NT$275.8K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

23.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,368 NT$171.3K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

347.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 NT$45.7K

$876 ₡395.0K

63.40%

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 Taichung: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$379 32.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 7.8% $29

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$273 23.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 185% $507

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$162 14.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 10.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$140 12.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 14% $20

Eating Out

Taichung

$105 9.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 98.8% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$53 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 64.3% $34

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 106% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $396 in Taichung versus $786 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 63% higher in Taichung, 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 Taichung versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Taichung vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

01:15 1:15 AM

14 h behind Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

4,912

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

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).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taichung Nosara 15,260 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Taichung
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

Taichung vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,143 in Taichung, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,714 per month in Taichung and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 125% less in Taichung. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $347 per month in Taichung and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,143, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Taichung 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 $1,143 in Taichung 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 Taichung. 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.