Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongshan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $700 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$700

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $700 per month in Zhongshan vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhongshan $700
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,110 per month in Zhongshan vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhongshan $1,110
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,521 per month in Zhongshan vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhongshan $1,521
Nosara $3,818

Zhongshan is about 62% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zhongshan sits 48% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.47

$12.35 ₡5,550

-76.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.18 ¥162

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-60.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.47 ¥29.86

$7.52 ₡3,379

-40.56%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ¥18.80

$4.41 ₡1,982

-36.28%

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

$0.47 ¥3.15

$1.74 ₡781

-72.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$1.31 ₡588

-77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ¥5.19

$3.28 ₡1,474

-76.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.14

$4.47 ₡2,008

-59.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$1.56 ₡702

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.61

$3.02 ₡1,358

-47.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.31

$2.51 ₡1,127

-74.50%

Eggs

$1.20 ¥8.00

$3.57 ₡1,606

-66.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.77 ¥139

$7.43 ₡3,340

179.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.79 ¥18.63

$10.52 ₡4,727

-73.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.52 ¥90.4

$13.97 ₡6,277

-3.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.65

$2.35 ₡1,054

-13.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.88

$1.61 ₡721

-36.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$4.80 ₡2,156

-85.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.50

$1.61 ₡725

-11.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 ¥3.57

$3.80 ₡1,706

-86.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.19

$3.69 ₡1,660

-78.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.13 ₡508

-61.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.60

$2.66 ₡1,193

-79.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ¥19.79

$5.18 ₡2,326

-42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 ¥80.4

$19.88 ₡8,934

-39.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.63

$2.90 ₡1,303

-76.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$3.63 ₡1,629

-50.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.12 ₡505

-74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.18 ¥102

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-79.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$2.14 ₡960

-30.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.78

$1.57 ₡705

-73.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 ¥47.58

$8.52 ₡3,830

-16.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.65

$1.52 ₡683

-15.13%

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

$19.1K ¥128.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-11.40%

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

$18.0K ¥120.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-47.71%

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

$41.21 ¥276

$96.3 ₡43.3K

-57.20%

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

$9.85 ¥65.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-72.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.75 ¥85.3

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-76.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 ¥454

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-5.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 ¥49.00

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-79.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 ¥40.42

$7.89 ₡3,546

-23.45%

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

$324 ¥2,164

$494 ₡222.0K

-34.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

14.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.30 ¥330

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 ¥270

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥400

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-23.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.0 ¥508

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-4.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 ¥1,391

$788 ₡354.1K

-73.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ¥864

$794 ₡356.9K

-83.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 ¥2,483

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-90.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 ¥1,437

$1,419 ₡637.7K

-84.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,447 ¥16.4K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-64.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,515 ¥10.1K

$1,224 ₡550.0K

23.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$956 ¥6,396

$864 ₡388.0K

10.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

8.62

-61.14%

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

Last update for Zhongshan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhongshan

$224 32.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 57.1% $128

Accommodation & Living

Zhongshan

$129 18.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 515% $665

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongshan

$101 14.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18.3% $19

Eating Out

Zhongshan

$81 11.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 162% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongshan

$80 11.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 9.3% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongshan

$64 9.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 191% $122

Getting Around

Zhongshan

$20 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 338% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $208 in Zhongshan 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 11% higher in Zhongshan, 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 Zhongshan versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $352 – making Zhongshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:20 6:20 PM

04:20 4:20 AM

14 h behind Zhongshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,209,600

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

Zhongshan Nosara 15,850 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhongshan
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

Zhongshan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $700 in Zhongshan, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 163% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,049 per month in Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 379% less in Zhongshan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $324 per month in Zhongshan and $494 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 Zhongshan, where all-in costs run around $700, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zhongshan 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 $700 in Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan. 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.