Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Itoman and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Itoman: $1,150 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Itoman
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Itoman Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Itoman

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,150

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,150 per month in Itoman vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Itoman $1,150
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,811 per month in Itoman vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Itoman $1,811
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,473 per month in Itoman vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Itoman $2,473
Nosara $3,814

Itoman is about 37% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Itoman sits 15% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.12 ¥492

$12.34 ₡5,535

-74.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.23 ¥6,356

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-34.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.71 ¥587

$7.76 ₡3,481

-52.19%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥389

$4.44 ₡1,992

-44.59%

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

$0.98 ¥155

$1.79 ₡803

-45.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$1.29 ₡580

-38.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ¥322

$3.24 ₡1,451

-37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ¥711

$4.43 ₡1,985

1.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥255

$1.55 ₡696

4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ¥127

$3.08 ₡1,380

-74.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 ¥333

$2.53 ₡1,133

-17.00%

Eggs

$1.82 ¥287

$3.45 ₡1,546

-47.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 ¥2,789

$7.32 ₡3,284

141.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 ¥459

$10.24 ₡4,594

-71.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.06 ¥1,116

$14.10 ₡6,326

-49.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 ¥570

$2.29 ₡1,027

57.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 ¥411

$1.64 ₡737

58.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ¥337

$4.79 ₡2,149

-55.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 ¥788

$1.64 ₡735

204.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 ¥388

$3.85 ₡1,727

-36.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥405

$3.75 ₡1,681

-31.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ¥201

$1.09 ₡488

16.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥101

$2.59 ₡1,160

-75.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥614

$5.12 ₡2,295

-24.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.54 ¥875

$19.92 ₡8,931

-72.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ¥310

$2.80 ₡1,255

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ¥526

$3.52 ₡1,580

-5.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥237

$1.22 ₡549

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 ¥8,486

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-27.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 ¥594

$2.17 ₡973

73.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.46 ¥546

$1.56 ₡698

121.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.21 ¥1,770

$8.67 ₡3,886

29.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.55 ₡697

-31.61%

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

$20.8K ¥3.3M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-39.88%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-61.28%

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

$161 ¥25.4K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

69.57%

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

$25.40 ¥4,013

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-29.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.99 ¥6,002

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-28.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 ¥8,363

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-28.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 ¥1,875

$7.91 ₡3,548

50.06%

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

$332 ¥52.4K

$490 ₡219.9K

-32.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,598 ¥884.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-52.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.55 ¥7,670

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.71 ¥3,746

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-57.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.74 ¥7,700

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-39.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ¥15.2K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

23.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 ¥84.4K

$801 ₡359.1K

-33.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ¥52.1K

$790 ₡354.1K

-58.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 ¥176.2K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-72.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.2K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-48.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,191 ¥662.1K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-40.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,758 ¥277.8K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

42.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

8.62

-74.13%

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

Last update for Itoman: 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

Itoman

$330 28.7%

Nosara

$790 43% 139% $460

Groceries & Markets

Itoman

$249 21.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 40.7% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Itoman

$224 19.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 17.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Itoman

$98 8.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 23.6% $23

Eating Out

Itoman

$92 8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 131% $121

Getting Around

Itoman

$81 7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 9.9% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Itoman

$77 6.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 16.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Itoman 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Itoman versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $350 – making Itoman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Itoman

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:15 11:15 PM

08:15 8:15 AM

15 h behind Itoman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,007

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

Itoman Nosara 14,620 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Itoman
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

Itoman vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,725 per month in Itoman 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 Itoman, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Itoman and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,150 in Itoman and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 60%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Itoman, where all-in costs run around $1,150, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Itoman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Itoman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Itoman. 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.