Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xiamen and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiamen: $842 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Xiamen
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Xiamen Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Xiamen

🇨🇳 China

$842

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $842 per month in Xiamen vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Xiamen $842
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,338 per month in Xiamen vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Xiamen $1,338
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Xiamen vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Xiamen $1,835
Nosara $3,712

Xiamen is about 54% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.10

$12.22 ₡5,509

-75.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.67 ¥158

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-60.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.85

$7.54 ₡3,399

-28.91%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ¥16.78

$4.31 ₡1,941

-41.76%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$1.72 ₡773

-72.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$1.35 ₡608

-74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.86

$3.24 ₡1,459

-54.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ¥19.97

$4.48 ₡2,018

-33.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$1.57 ₡707

-7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 ¥15.20

$3.17 ₡1,429

-28.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.55

$2.42 ₡1,091

-59.50%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥10.92

$3.57 ₡1,609

-54.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 ¥79.9

$7.43 ₡3,349

60.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.52 ¥16.83

$10.42 ₡4,697

-75.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$13.66 ₡6,156

-14.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.05

$2.32 ₡1,044

9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.61 ₡728

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.09

$4.74 ₡2,138

-64.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.19

$1.66 ₡747

18.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$3.72 ₡1,679

-72.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.18

$3.57 ₡1,611

-49.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ¥6.05

$1.10 ₡497

-17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥3.31

$2.55 ₡1,149

-80.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ¥20.47

$4.95 ₡2,232

-38.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ¥75.0

$20.01 ₡9,020

-43.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.40

$2.79 ₡1,256

-70.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.37

$3.53 ₡1,589

-51.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ¥1.07

$1.19 ₡537

-86.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.10 ¥80.9

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-83.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$2.24 ₡1,011

-34.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.55 ₡701

-81.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.34 ¥49.07

$8.86 ₡3,993

-17.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.78

$1.57 ₡708

-16.56%

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

$19.3K ¥128.8K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-11.63%

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

$17.3K ¥115.4K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-50.15%

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

$44.42 ¥297

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-52.47%

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

$8.81 ¥58.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-74.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.23 ¥68.3

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-80.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.22 ¥322

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-32.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.59 ¥70.8

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-70.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.22 ¥68.3

$7.84 ₡3,535

30.36%

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

$488 ¥3,264

$490 ₡220.7K

-0.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ¥161.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

103.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.84 ¥260

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-27.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 ¥190

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-48.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 ¥703

$79.3 ₡35.7K

32.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 ¥565

$78.9 ₡35.6K

7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ¥2,283

$786 ₡354.3K

-56.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 ¥1,798

$780 ₡351.6K

-65.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ¥5,511

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-78.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 ¥3,655

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-61.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,597 ¥57.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

23.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,684 ¥31.3K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

290.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,138 ¥7,607

$876 ₡395.0K

29.90%

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 Xiamen: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Xiamen

$269 32.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 190% $511

Groceries & Markets

Xiamen

$216 25.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 62% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Xiamen

$116 13.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 4% $4.6

Eating Out

Xiamen

$87 10.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 141% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Xiamen

$69 8.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 26.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xiamen

$63 7.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 184% $117

Getting Around

Xiamen

$16 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 455% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $342 in Xiamen 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 30% higher in Xiamen, 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 $24.00 in Xiamen versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $350 – making Xiamen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xiamen

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

01:15 1:15 AM

14 h behind Xiamen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,531,000

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 = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Xiamen Nosara 15,400 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Xiamen
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

Xiamen vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $842 in Xiamen, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 118% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,263 per month in Xiamen 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 Xiamen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 496% less in Xiamen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $488 per month in Xiamen 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 Xiamen, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Xiamen 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 $842 in Xiamen 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 Xiamen. 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.