Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taitung and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Taitung: $1,035 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Taitung
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Taitung Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Taitung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,035

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,035 per month in Taitung vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Taitung $1,035
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,802 per month in Taitung vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Taitung $1,802
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,569 per month in Taitung vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Taitung $2,569
Nosara $3,818

Taitung is about 44% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Taitung sits 23% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 NT$124

$12.35 ₡5,539

-69.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.18 NT$1,562

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-21.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.56 NT$180

$7.52 ₡3,373

-26.06%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NT$112

$4.41 ₡1,978

-21.77%

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

$0.95 NT$30.66

$1.74 ₡780

-45.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 NT$22.00

$1.31 ₡587

-48.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 NT$93.3

$3.28 ₡1,471

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 NT$122

$4.47 ₡2,004

-15.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$1.56 ₡701

98.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 NT$60.7

$3.02 ₡1,355

-38.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 NT$101

$2.51 ₡1,125

24.30%

Eggs

$2.33 NT$75.4

$3.57 ₡1,603

-34.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.49 NT$632

$7.43 ₡3,333

162.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 NT$126

$10.52 ₡4,717

-63.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.88 NT$709

$13.97 ₡6,265

56.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 NT$62.1

$2.35 ₡1,052

-18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NT$94.6

$1.61 ₡720

81.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 NT$62.5

$4.80 ₡2,152

-59.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 NT$146

$1.61 ₡724

179.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NT$88.4

$3.80 ₡1,703

-28.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NT$76.5

$3.69 ₡1,657

-36.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 NT$57.7

$1.13 ₡507

57.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NT$35.94

$2.66 ₡1,191

-58.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$130

$5.18 ₡2,321

-22.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 NT$456

$19.88 ₡8,916

-29.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$53.3

$2.90 ₡1,300

-43.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NT$73.8

$3.63 ₡1,626

-37.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.95

$1.12 ₡504

-41.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.43 NT$1,181

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-49.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 NT$88.3

$2.14 ₡958

27.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$25.14

$1.57 ₡703

-50.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.18 NT$298

$8.52 ₡3,823

7.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 NT$29.33

$1.52 ₡682

-40.79%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

53.84%

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

$24.1K NT$781.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-30.18%

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

$85.6 NT$2,777

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-11.06%

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

$17.66 NT$573

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-50.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.09 NT$878

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-49.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.70 NT$1,190

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-48.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.25 NT$300

$7.89 ₡3,539

17.24%

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

$677 NT$21.9K

$494 ₡221.6K

36.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K NT$550.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

43.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.52 NT$925

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-47.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.68 NT$508

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-71.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.43 NT$1,603

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-36.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NT$3,410

$79.6 ₡35.7K

32.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 NT$13.4K

$788 ₡353.4K

-47.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 NT$8,133

$794 ₡356.2K

-68.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 NT$31.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-75.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 NT$24.2K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,734 NT$250.8K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

11.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 NT$162.8K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

310.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$637 NT$20.7K

$864 ₡387.3K

-26.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

8.62

-72.16%

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

Last update for Taitung: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taitung

$346 33.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 1.7% $5.9

Accommodation & Living

Taitung

$251 24.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 217% $544

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taitung

$130 12.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 42.5% $55

Eating Out

Taitung

$117 11.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 81% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Taitung

$89 8.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 34.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Taitung

$55 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 58.3% $32

Getting Around

Taitung

$46 4.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 91% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $412 in Taitung 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 36% 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 $48.00 in Taitung versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $352 – making Taitung the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taitung

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

15:14 3:14 PM

14 h behind Taitung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,368

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 19, 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 19, 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

Taitung Nosara 15,350 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Taitung
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

Taitung vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,035 in Taitung, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,552 per month in Taitung 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 Taitung, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 99% less in Taitung. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $677 per month in Taitung and $494 in Nosara. 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 Taitung, where all-in costs run around $1,035, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Taitung 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 $1,035 in Taitung 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 Taitung. 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.