Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukuyama and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuyama: $1,134 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Fukuyama
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Fukuyama Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Fukuyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,134

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,134 in Fukuyama versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Fukuyama $1,134
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,805 in Fukuyama versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Fukuyama $1,805
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,476 in Fukuyama versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Fukuyama $2,476
Nosara $3,814

Living in Fukuyama costs roughly 38% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fukuyama is 16% below, Nosara is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.51 ¥1,186

$12.34 ₡5,535

-39.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.20 ¥4,929

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-49.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥775

$7.76 ₡3,481

-36.86%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥517

$4.44 ₡1,992

-26.35%

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

$0.83 ¥132

$1.79 ₡803

-53.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥82.7

$1.29 ₡580

-59.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 ¥302

$3.24 ₡1,451

-41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥505

$4.43 ₡1,985

-27.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 ¥155

$1.55 ₡696

-36.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ¥125

$3.08 ₡1,380

-74.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.88 ¥929

$2.53 ₡1,133

132.41%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥326

$3.45 ₡1,546

-40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 ¥1,382

$7.32 ₡3,284

19.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$10.24 ₡4,594

-66.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥1,700

$14.10 ₡6,326

-23.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 ¥788

$2.29 ₡1,027

117.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 ¥369

$1.64 ₡737

42.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 ¥782

$4.79 ₡2,149

3.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 ¥578

$1.64 ₡735

123.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 ¥296

$3.85 ₡1,727

-51.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ¥259

$3.75 ₡1,681

-56.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ¥157

$1.09 ₡488

-9.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥62.4

$2.59 ₡1,160

-84.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 ¥608

$5.12 ₡2,295

-24.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 ¥1,224

$19.92 ₡8,931

-61.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥259

$2.80 ₡1,255

-41.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥503

$3.52 ₡1,580

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ¥229

$1.22 ₡549

18.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ¥8,358

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-28.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 ¥535

$2.17 ₡973

56.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.82 ¥603

$1.56 ₡698

144.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.88 ¥4,563

$8.67 ₡3,886

233.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ¥162

$1.55 ₡697

-34.19%

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

$12.4K ¥2.0M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-64.09%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-60.08%

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

$103 ¥16.3K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

8.84%

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

$18.57 ¥2,934

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-48.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,755

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-43.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 ¥8,072

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-30.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.92 ¥304

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-94.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 ¥1,926

$7.91 ₡3,548

54.11%

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

$651 ¥102.9K

$490 ₡219.9K

32.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,461 ¥1.0M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-45.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ¥5,933

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-31.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ¥4,949

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-43.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.5 ¥10.0K

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-20.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ¥84.6K

$801 ₡359.1K

-33.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥53.0K

$790 ₡354.1K

-57.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 ¥174.0K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-72.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 ¥117.7K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-47.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,284 ¥676.8K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-39.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,742 ¥275.2K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

40.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,387 ¥219.1K

$887 ₡397.6K

56.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-88.40%

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

Last update for Fukuyama: 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

Fukuyama

$335 29.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 135% $454

Groceries & Markets

Fukuyama

$250 22%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 40.1% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fukuyama

$152 13.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 21.2% $32

Eating Out

Fukuyama

$135 11.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 57.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Fukuyama

$105 9.3%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 14.8% $16

Getting Around

Fukuyama

$81 7.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 9.3% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Fukuyama

$75 6.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 18.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Fukuyama and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fukuyama pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Fukuyama vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $350 per month, with Fukuyama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Fukuyama

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

13:12 1:12 PM

15 h behind Fukuyama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

460,930

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 →

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Between locations

Fukuyama Nosara 13,590 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Fukuyama
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

Fukuyama vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukuyama wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fukuyama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Fukuyama, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $535 in Fukuyama versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $651 in Fukuyama versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,134 in Fukuyama versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fukuyama but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Fukuyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fukuyama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,134 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fukuyama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fukuyama and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fukuyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.