Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongli City and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongli City: $993 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Zhongli City
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Zhongli City Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Zhongli City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$993

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $993 per month in Zhongli City vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhongli City $993
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,675 per month in Zhongli City vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhongli City $1,675
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,357 per month in Zhongli City vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhongli City $2,357
Nosara $3,818

Zhongli City is about 46% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zhongli City sits 26% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 NT$150

$12.35 ₡5,539

-62.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.29 NT$1,015

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-48.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 NT$155

$7.52 ₡3,373

-36.57%

Cappuccino

$2.57 NT$83.4

$4.41 ₡1,978

-41.72%

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

$1.03 NT$33.52

$1.74 ₡780

-40.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$22.35

$1.31 ₡587

-47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 NT$52.2

$3.28 ₡1,471

-50.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 NT$89.1

$4.47 ₡2,004

-38.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 NT$103

$1.56 ₡701

103.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$56.3

$3.02 ₡1,355

-42.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 NT$87.9

$2.51 ₡1,125

7.97%

Eggs

$2.60 NT$84.3

$3.57 ₡1,603

-27.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 NT$414

$7.43 ₡3,333

71.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 NT$230

$10.52 ₡4,717

-32.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 NT$499

$13.97 ₡6,265

10.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 NT$121

$2.35 ₡1,052

59.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NT$63.8

$1.61 ₡720

22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NT$99.9

$4.80 ₡2,152

-35.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 NT$72.1

$1.61 ₡724

37.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 NT$39.81

$3.80 ₡1,703

-67.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.5

$3.69 ₡1,657

-48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 NT$79.0

$1.13 ₡507

115.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$27.52

$2.66 ₡1,191

-68.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 NT$122

$5.18 ₡2,321

-27.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 NT$501

$19.88 ₡8,916

-22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 NT$50.2

$2.90 ₡1,300

-46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$82.8

$3.63 ₡1,626

-29.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.90

$1.12 ₡504

-45.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.64 NT$1,221

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-48.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$86.8

$2.14 ₡958

25.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 NT$18.72

$1.57 ₡703

-63.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$312

$8.52 ₡3,823

12.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 NT$31.60

$1.52 ₡682

-36.18%

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

$33.1K NT$1.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

53.03%

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

$23.3K NT$754.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-32.58%

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

$106 NT$3,433

$96.3 ₡43.2K

9.95%

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

$14.76 NT$479

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-58.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 NT$556

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-68.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 NT$312

$7.89 ₡3,539

21.93%

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

$344 NT$11.1K

$494 ₡221.6K

-30.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$546.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

42.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 NT$2,338

$53.9 ₡24.2K

33.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.46 NT$1,182

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-34.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 NT$1,782

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-29.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NT$3,505

$79.6 ₡35.7K

35.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 NT$14.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

-43.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 NT$8,125

$794 ₡356.2K

-68.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 NT$28.3K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-77.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 NT$23.2K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-49.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,288 NT$74.2K

$864 ₡387.3K

164.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

8.62

-75.64%

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

Last update for Zhongli City: 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

Zhongli City

$315 31.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 11.7% $37

Accommodation & Living

Zhongli City

$251 25.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 217% $544

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongli City

$138 13.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 34.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongli City

$122 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 1.7% $2.1

Eating Out

Zhongli City

$103 10.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 107% $109

Getting Around

Zhongli City

$46 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 90.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongli City

$19 * 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 354% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $448 in Zhongli City 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 165% higher in Zhongli City, 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 $31.00 in Zhongli City versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $352 – making Zhongli City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Zhongli City

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

18:45 6:45 PM

14 h behind Zhongli City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

396,453

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

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Highest

Between locations

Zhongli City Nosara 15,160 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhongli City
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

Zhongli City vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $993 in Zhongli City, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 85% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,490 per month in Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 93% less in Zhongli City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $344 per month in Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City, where all-in costs run around $993, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zhongli City 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 $993 in Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City. 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.