Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichinomiya and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ichinomiya: $1,141 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ichinomiya
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,141
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,141 per month in Ichinomiya vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ichinomiya $1,141
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,891 per month in Ichinomiya vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ichinomiya $1,891
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,640 per month in Ichinomiya vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ichinomiya $2,640
  • Nosara $3,818

Ichinomiya is about 38% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ichinomiya sits 15% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ichinomiya
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.96 ¥941
$12.35 ₡5,539
-51.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.97 ¥5,051
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-47.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.51 ¥712
$7.52 ₡3,373
-40.03%
Cappuccino
$3.33 ¥527
$4.41 ₡1,978
-24.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ¥214
$1.74 ₡780
-22.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 ¥129
$1.31 ₡587
-37.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.45 ¥388
$3.28 ₡1,471
-25.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 ¥486
$4.47 ₡2,004
-31.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ichinomiya
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 ¥225
$1.56 ₡701
-8.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 ¥272
$3.02 ₡1,355
-43.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.64 ¥733
$2.51 ₡1,125
84.86%
Eggs
$2.01 ¥318
$3.57 ₡1,603
-43.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.03 ¥1,743
$7.43 ₡3,333
48.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.91 ¥1,092
$10.52 ₡4,717
-34.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.14 ¥2,392
$13.97 ₡6,265
8.38%
Apples (1kg)
$3.52 ¥556
$2.35 ₡1,052
49.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.53 ¥400
$1.61 ₡720
57.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.14 ¥495
$4.80 ₡2,152
-34.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 ¥637
$1.61 ₡724
150.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.74 ¥434
$3.80 ₡1,703
-27.89%
Onion (1kg)
$2.46 ¥389
$3.69 ₡1,657
-33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 ¥217
$1.13 ₡507
21.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 ¥126
$2.66 ₡1,191
-69.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.24 ¥669
$5.18 ₡2,321
-18.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.26 ¥989
$19.88 ₡8,916
-68.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 ¥263
$2.90 ₡1,300
-42.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ¥308
$3.63 ₡1,626
-46.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Ichinomiya
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 ¥221
$1.12 ₡504
25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.94 ¥7,416
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-35.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.62 ¥572
$2.14 ₡958
69.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.10 ¥490
$1.57 ₡703
97.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.36 ¥2,900
$8.52 ₡3,823
115.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 ¥180
$1.52 ₡682
-25.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K ¥3.5M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
2.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.9K ¥2.4M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-56.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ichinomiya
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 ¥18.2K
$96.3 ₡43.2K
19.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.66 ¥3,265
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-42.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.00 ¥4,265
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-49.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ichinomiya
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.2 ¥8,883
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-21.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.04 ¥1,903
$7.89 ₡3,539
52.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ichinomiya
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$537 ¥84.8K
$494 ₡221.6K
8.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ¥1.8M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-2.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ichinomiya
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.65 ¥6,739
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-20.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.32 ¥4,632
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-47.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.7 ¥10.7K
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-13.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.0 ¥12.5K
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-0.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ichinomiya
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$490 ¥77.4K
$788 ₡353.4K
-37.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ¥49.0K
$794 ₡356.2K
-60.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$997 ¥157.5K
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-74.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$840 ¥132.6K
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-40.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,161 ¥657.4K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-39.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,986 ¥313.8K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
62.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ichinomiya
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
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 Ichinomiya: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ichinomiya
$310
Nosara
$794 156% $484
Groceries & Markets
Ichinomiya
$290
Nosara
$352 21.6% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ichinomiya
$163
Nosara
$186 14.1% $23
Eating Out
Ichinomiya
$128
Nosara
$212 65.1% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Ichinomiya
$98
Nosara
$120 22% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Ichinomiya
$80
Nosara
$87 8.8% $7.1
Getting Around
Ichinomiya
$72
Nosara
$87 21.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Ichinomiya 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ichinomiya versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $352 – making Ichinomiya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Ichinomiya
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
18:24 6:24 PM
03:24 3:24 AM
15 h behind Ichinomiya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
379,728
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
  • Ichinomiya Nosara 13,290 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ichinomiya
  • 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
Ichinomiya vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Ichinomiya?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,712 per month in Ichinomiya and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ichinomiya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Ichinomiya or in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ichinomiya and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Ichinomiya and in Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,141 in Ichinomiya and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 61%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ichinomiya or in Nosara?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ichinomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,141, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ichinomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ichinomiya or Nosara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ichinomiya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ichinomiya or Nosara?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ichinomiya. 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.

Ichinomiya vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?