Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhoushan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $620 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
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Zhoushan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$620

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $620 per month in Zhoushan vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhoushan $620
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,005 per month in Zhoushan vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhoushan $1,005
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Zhoushan vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Zhoushan $1,390
Nosara $3,818

Zhoushan is about 66% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zhoushan sits 54% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 ¥22.63

$12.35 ₡5,539

-72.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.03 ¥127

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-68.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.07 ¥27.24

$7.52 ₡3,373

-45.88%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥19.74

$4.41 ₡1,978

-33.11%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$1.74 ₡780

-73.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.66

$1.31 ₡587

-80.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.15

$3.28 ₡1,471

-76.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥12.32

$4.47 ₡2,004

-58.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.26

$1.56 ₡701

17.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥13.87

$3.02 ₡1,355

-31.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.95

$2.51 ₡1,125

-64.54%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.07

$3.57 ₡1,603

-70.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 ¥89.2

$7.43 ₡3,333

79.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 ¥23.45

$10.52 ₡4,717

-66.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 ¥73.3

$13.97 ₡6,265

-21.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.26

$2.35 ₡1,052

-34.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$1.61 ₡720

-24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$4.80 ₡2,152

-69.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$1.61 ₡724

-24.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$3.80 ₡1,703

-84.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.42

$3.69 ₡1,657

-78.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.23

$1.13 ₡507

-44.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$2.66 ₡1,191

-78.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 ¥35.45

$5.18 ₡2,321

2.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$19.88 ₡8,916

-40.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$2.90 ₡1,300

-69.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.34

$3.63 ₡1,626

-41.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$1.12 ₡504

-72.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.13 ¥101

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-79.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$2.14 ₡958

-32.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.81

$1.57 ₡703

-73.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ¥59.6

$8.52 ₡3,823

4.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$1.52 ₡682

-19.74%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-10.19%

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

$16.4K ¥109.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-52.47%

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

$36.17 ¥242

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-62.44%

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

$11.52 ¥77.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-67.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.25 ¥182

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-49.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 ¥169

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-64.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.45 ¥49.79

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-78.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥39.10

$7.89 ₡3,539

-25.86%

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

$440 ¥2,942

$494 ₡221.6K

-10.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ¥108.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

37.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.64 ¥232

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-35.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.10 ¥141

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-61.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥437

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.10 ¥295

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-44.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,197

$788 ₡353.4K

-58.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 ¥797

$794 ₡356.2K

-84.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$745 ¥4,979

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ¥1,827

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-80.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,953 ¥19.7K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-57.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,009 ¥13.4K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

64.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$589 ¥3,935

$864 ₡387.3K

-31.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

8.62

-63.69%

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

Last update for Zhoushan: 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

Zhoushan

$209 33.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 68.2% $143

Accommodation & Living

Zhoushan

$119 19.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 566% $675

Eating Out

Zhoushan

$85 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 149% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhoushan

$75 12.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 148% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Zhoushan

$74 12%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 61.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Zhoushan

$37 6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 136% $50

Getting Around

Zhoushan

$20 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 337% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $329 in Zhoushan 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 47% 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 $19.00 in Zhoushan versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $352 – making Zhoushan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

22:51 10:51 PM

14 h behind Zhoushan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,157,817

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 = 2.23 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zhoushan Nosara 14,660 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhoushan
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

Zhoushan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $620 in Zhoushan, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 197% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $930 per month in Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 380% less in Zhoushan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zhoushan 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 $620 in Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan. 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.