Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akita and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Akita: $1,213 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Akita
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Akita Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Akita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,213

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,213 per month in Akita vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Akita $1,213
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,904 per month in Akita vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Akita $1,904
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,596 per month in Akita vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Akita $2,596
Nosara $3,814

Akita is about 34% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Akita sits 11% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 ¥981

$12.34 ₡5,535

-49.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.98 ¥5,052

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-47.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥775

$7.76 ₡3,481

-36.86%

Cappuccino

$3.54 ¥559

$4.44 ₡1,992

-20.27%

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

$0.99 ¥156

$1.79 ₡803

-44.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$1.29 ₡580

-37.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ¥306

$3.24 ₡1,451

-40.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ¥493

$4.43 ₡1,985

-29.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.55 ₡696

-1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥252

$3.08 ₡1,380

-48.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 ¥650

$2.53 ₡1,133

62.45%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥323

$3.45 ₡1,546

-40.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ¥1,610

$7.32 ₡3,284

39.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ¥1,031

$10.24 ₡4,594

-36.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 ¥2,565

$14.10 ₡6,326

15.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 ¥573

$2.29 ₡1,027

58.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ¥355

$1.64 ₡737

37.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 ¥448

$4.79 ₡2,149

-40.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 ¥663

$1.64 ₡735

156.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ¥384

$3.85 ₡1,727

-36.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ¥392

$3.75 ₡1,681

-33.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ¥204

$1.09 ₡488

18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$2.59 ₡1,160

-68.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 ¥634

$5.12 ₡2,295

-21.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 ¥1,039

$19.92 ₡8,931

-66.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥296

$2.80 ₡1,255

-32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥327

$3.52 ₡1,580

-41.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.22 ₡549

23.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.0 ¥8,525

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-26.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥503

$2.17 ₡973

47.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ¥440

$1.56 ₡698

78.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.55 ¥2,931

$8.67 ₡3,886

113.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.55 ₡697

-15.48%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-37.24%

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

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-60.89%

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

$135 ¥21.3K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

41.94%

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

$24.50 ¥3,871

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-32.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.46 ¥4,971

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-40.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 ¥8,332

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-28.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 ¥1,870

$7.91 ₡3,548

49.68%

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

$507 ¥80.1K

$490 ₡219.9K

3.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ¥2.0M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

6.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.47 ¥6,552

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-24.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 ¥7,301

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-17.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ¥13.4K

$80.4 ₡36.0K

5.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ¥13.9K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.1K

$801 ₡359.1K

-34.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ¥53.1K

$790 ₡354.1K

-57.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 ¥172.1K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-72.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 ¥114.1K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-48.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,173 ¥659.3K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-40.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,782 ¥281.5K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

44.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,613 ¥254.9K

$887 ₡397.6K

81.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

8.62

-74.36%

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

Last update for Akita: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Akita

$336 27.7%

Nosara

$790 43% 135% $453

Groceries & Markets

Akita

$285 23.5%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 22.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akita

$191 15.7%

Nosara

$184 10% 3.4% $6.5

Eating Out

Akita

$130 10.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 63.7% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Akita

$117 9.7%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 3.3% $3.9

Getting Around

Akita

$77 6.4%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 15.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Akita

$76 6.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 17.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Akita versus $801 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 82% higher in Akita, 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 $32.00 in Akita versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $350 – making Akita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Akita

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

08:20 8:20 AM

15 h behind Akita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,672

4,912

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Akita Nosara 12,750 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Akita
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

Akita vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 51% more than Akita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,819 per month in Akita and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Akita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Akita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Akita and $490 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 Akita, where all-in costs run around $1,213, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Akita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Akita costs $1,213 versus $1,835 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Akita. 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.