Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hachioji and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Hachioji: $1,413 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Hachioji
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,413
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,413 in Hachioji versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Hachioji $1,413
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,105 in Hachioji versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Hachioji $2,105
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,796 in Hachioji versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Hachioji $2,796
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Hachioji costs roughly 23% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hachioji 5% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hachioji
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.48 ¥865
$12.35 ₡5,539
-55.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.97 ¥5,052
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-47.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.66 ¥737
$7.52 ₡3,373
-38.03%
Cappuccino
$3.06 ¥484
$4.41 ₡1,978
-30.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥131
$1.74 ₡780
-52.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ¥106
$1.31 ₡587
-48.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 ¥427
$3.28 ₡1,471
-17.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 ¥507
$4.47 ₡2,004
-28.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hachioji
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ¥198
$1.56 ₡701
-19.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 ¥246
$3.02 ₡1,355
-48.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.35 ¥688
$2.51 ₡1,125
73.31%
Eggs
$2.09 ¥330
$3.57 ₡1,603
-41.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.39 ¥1,641
$7.43 ₡3,333
39.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.39 ¥1,010
$10.52 ₡4,717
-39.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.65 ¥2,630
$13.97 ₡6,265
19.18%
Apples (1kg)
$3.73 ¥589
$2.35 ₡1,052
58.72%
Banana (1kg)
$2.24 ¥354
$1.61 ₡720
39.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.92 ¥462
$4.80 ₡2,152
-39.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.05 ¥641
$1.61 ₡724
151.55%
Potato (1kg)
$2.43 ¥384
$3.80 ₡1,703
-36.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.45 ¥387
$3.69 ₡1,657
-33.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 ¥204
$1.13 ₡507
14.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 ¥124
$2.66 ₡1,191
-70.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.85 ¥608
$5.18 ₡2,321
-25.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.60 ¥1,043
$19.88 ₡8,916
-66.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 ¥390
$2.90 ₡1,300
-14.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ¥343
$3.63 ₡1,626
-40.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Hachioji
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 ¥149
$1.12 ₡504
-16.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.4 ¥8,598
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-25.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 ¥488
$2.14 ₡958
44.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.72 ¥588
$1.57 ₡703
136.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.49 ¥2,921
$8.52 ₡3,823
117.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 ¥171
$1.52 ₡682
-28.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ¥3.3M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-2.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.0K ¥2.4M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-56.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hachioji
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 ¥21.6K
$96.3 ₡43.2K
41.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.79 ¥3,284
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-42.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.35 ¥5,743
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-32.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hachioji
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ¥8,249
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-27.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.96 ¥3,944
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-28.50%
Cinema Ticket
$13.07 ¥2,064
$7.89 ₡3,539
65.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hachioji
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$589 ¥93.1K
$494 ₡221.6K
19.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K ¥1.8M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-6.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hachioji
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.22 ¥7,776
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-8.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.23 ¥4,935
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-43.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$62.4 ¥9,864
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-19.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.0 ¥14.2K
$79.6 ₡35.7K
13.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hachioji
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$939 ¥148.3K
$788 ₡353.4K
19.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$549 ¥86.7K
$794 ₡356.2K
-30.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,549 ¥244.8K
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-60.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$937 ¥148.0K
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-33.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,294 ¥678.4K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-37.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,751 ¥276.6K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
43.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hachioji
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,806 ¥443.3K
$864 ₡387.3K
224.94%
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 Hachioji: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hachioji
$549
Nosara
$794 44.8% $246
Groceries & Markets
Hachioji
$288
Nosara
$352 22.5% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hachioji
$194
Nosara
$186 4.1% $7.9
Eating Out
Hachioji
$121
Nosara
$212 75.8% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Hachioji
$105
Nosara
$120 14.6% $15
Getting Around
Hachioji
$80
Nosara
$87 9.1% $7.2
Sport & Entertainment
Hachioji
$78
Nosara
$87 11.5% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $939 in Hachioji and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hachioji pays 225% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Hachioji vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $352 per month, with Hachioji cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Hachioji
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
09:48 9:48 AM
18:48 6:48 PM
15 h behind Hachioji
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
555,517
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hachioji Nosara 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hachioji
  • 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
Hachioji vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hachioji or Nosara?
Hachioji wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hachioji the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Hachioji or in Nosara?
Average pay runs 225% higher in Hachioji, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Hachioji compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $939 in Hachioji versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Hachioji or in Nosara?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Hachioji and in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Hachioji – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Hachioji or in Nosara?
At $1,413 in Hachioji versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hachioji but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Hachioji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Hachioji or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Hachioji delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,413 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hachioji hard to pass up.
How safe is Hachioji compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Hachioji 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Hachioji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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