Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhangjiagang and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiagang: $740 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiagang
Learn more

Zhangjiagang Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Zhangjiagang

🇨🇳 China

$740

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $740 per month in Zhangjiagang vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhangjiagang $740
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,149 per month in Zhangjiagang vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhangjiagang $1,149
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,558 per month in Zhangjiagang vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhangjiagang $1,558
Nosara $3,818

Zhangjiagang is about 60% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zhangjiagang sits 45% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 ¥25.43

$12.35 ₡5,550

-69.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.20 ¥148

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-63.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.31

$7.52 ₡3,379

-33.78%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.32

$4.41 ₡1,982

-31.07%

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

$0.49 ¥3.29

$1.74 ₡781

-71.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$1.31 ₡588

-79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$3.28 ₡1,474

-53.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥14.84

$4.47 ₡2,008

-50.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥13.90

$1.56 ₡702

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 ¥13.95

$3.02 ₡1,358

-30.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.64

$2.51 ₡1,127

-66.53%

Eggs

$1.36 ¥9.09

$3.57 ₡1,606

-61.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 ¥71.1

$7.43 ₡3,340

43.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 ¥19.60

$10.52 ₡4,727

-72.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 ¥61.0

$13.97 ₡6,277

-34.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$2.35 ₡1,054

-13.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.64

$1.61 ₡721

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.04

$4.80 ₡2,156

-62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.39

$1.61 ₡725

-31.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$3.80 ₡1,706

-76.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$3.69 ₡1,660

-75.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$1.13 ₡508

-23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.51

$2.66 ₡1,193

-80.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 ¥24.37

$5.18 ₡2,326

-29.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 ¥89.9

$19.88 ₡8,934

-32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$2.90 ₡1,303

-67.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.44

$3.63 ₡1,629

-57.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ¥1.99

$1.12 ₡505

-73.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.58 ¥118

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-75.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 ¥11.78

$2.14 ₡960

-17.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$1.57 ₡705

-75.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ¥58.6

$8.52 ₡3,830

2.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.14

$1.52 ₡683

-9.87%

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

$19.2K ¥128.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-11.26%

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

$16.9K ¥112.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-51.17%

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

$55.8 ¥373

$96.3 ₡43.3K

-42.10%

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

$7.76 ¥51.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-78.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.32 ¥48.98

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-86.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.15 ¥242

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-49.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 ¥107

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-54.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 ¥40.61

$7.89 ₡3,546

-23.07%

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

$418 ¥2,794

$494 ₡222.0K

-15.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ¥149.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

88.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.99 ¥288

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-20.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 ¥228

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-38.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 ¥439

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-15.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ¥592

$79.6 ₡35.8K

11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,869

$788 ₡354.1K

-64.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 ¥1,295

$794 ₡356.9K

-75.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 ¥4,809

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥2,168

$1,419 ₡637.7K

-77.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,266 ¥21.8K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-52.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,685 ¥11.3K

$1,224 ₡550.0K

37.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

8.62

-60.32%

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

Last update for Zhangjiagang: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhangjiagang

$204 27.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 72.7% $148

Accommodation & Living

Zhangjiagang

$194 26.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 310% $601

Clothing & Footwear

Zhangjiagang

$104 14.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 15.4% $16

Eating Out

Zhangjiagang

$97 13.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 119% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhangjiagang

$71 9.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 162% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Zhangjiagang

$48 6.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 80.9% $39

Getting Around

Zhangjiagang

$22 3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 288% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $280 in Zhangjiagang 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Zhangjiagang versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $352 – making Zhangjiagang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhangjiagang

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

02:59 2:59 AM

14 h behind Zhangjiagang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,432,044

4,912

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zhangjiagang Nosara 14,590 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhangjiagang
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

Zhangjiagang vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $740 in Zhangjiagang, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 148% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,110 per month in Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 313% less in Zhangjiagang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $418 per month in Zhangjiagang and $494 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 Zhangjiagang, where all-in costs run around $740, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zhangjiagang 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 $740 in Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang. 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.