Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kagoshima and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,133 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Kagoshima
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Kagoshima Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,133 per month in Kagoshima vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kagoshima $1,133
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,887 per month in Kagoshima vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kagoshima $1,887
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,641 per month in Kagoshima vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kagoshima $2,641
Nosara $3,818

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

Kagoshima sits 16% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ¥1,020

$12.35 ₡5,539

-47.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ¥5,127

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-46.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 ¥856

$7.52 ₡3,373

-27.93%

Cappuccino

$2.91 ¥459

$4.41 ₡1,978

-34.01%

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

$1.01 ¥159

$1.74 ₡780

-41.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$1.31 ₡587

-42.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$3.28 ₡1,471

-23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥344

$4.47 ₡2,004

-51.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 ¥216

$1.56 ₡701

-12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ¥180

$3.02 ₡1,355

-62.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 ¥811

$2.51 ₡1,125

104.38%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥325

$3.57 ₡1,603

-42.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.48 ¥2,919

$7.43 ₡3,333

148.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 ¥863

$10.52 ₡4,717

-48.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 ¥2,993

$13.97 ₡6,265

35.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 ¥580

$2.35 ₡1,052

56.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ¥293

$1.61 ₡720

14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ¥439

$4.80 ₡2,152

-42.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 ¥523

$1.61 ₡724

105.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 ¥324

$3.80 ₡1,703

-46.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 ¥290

$3.69 ₡1,657

-50.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.13 ₡507

-6.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$2.66 ₡1,191

-69.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$5.18 ₡2,321

-25.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 ¥932

$19.88 ₡8,916

-70.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥180

$2.90 ₡1,300

-60.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥298

$3.63 ₡1,626

-47.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 ¥201

$1.12 ₡504

13.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ¥8,497

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-25.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 ¥631

$2.14 ₡958

86.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 ¥321

$1.57 ₡703

29.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.27 ¥1,780

$8.52 ₡3,823

32.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.52 ₡682

-30.92%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

0.96%

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

$17.5K ¥2.8M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-49.26%

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

$189 ¥29.8K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

96.04%

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

$24.87 ¥3,928

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-30.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.44 ¥4,809

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-43.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,107

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-28.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 ¥1,865

$7.89 ₡3,539

49.68%

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

$124 ¥19.5K

$494 ₡221.6K

-74.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥1.9M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

3.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.61 ¥7,838

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.70 ¥4,060

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-53.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.6 ¥10.0K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 ¥12.0K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥85.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

-31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 ¥35.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-72.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 ¥160.3K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-74.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 ¥118.2K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,824 ¥604.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-44.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,821 ¥287.8K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

48.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,831 ¥289.3K

$864 ₡387.3K

112.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

8.62

-77.15%

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

Last update for Kagoshima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kagoshima

$295 26.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 19.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kagoshima

$244 21.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 23.9% $58

Accommodation & Living

Kagoshima

$222 19.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 257% $572

Eating Out

Kagoshima

$127 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 67.2% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Kagoshima

$97 8.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 24.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Kagoshima

$75 6.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 16.6% $12

Getting Around

Kagoshima

$73 6.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 19.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Kagoshima 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.

Salaries run about 112% higher in Kagoshima, 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 Kagoshima versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $352 – making Kagoshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kagoshima

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

16:02 4:02 PM

15 h behind Kagoshima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,128

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 17, 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 17, 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

Kagoshima Nosara 14,000 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Kagoshima
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

Kagoshima vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 62% more than Kagoshima, 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 $1,700 per month in Kagoshima and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 35% less in Kagoshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $124 per month in Kagoshima and $494 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 Kagoshima, where all-in costs run around $1,133, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kagoshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kagoshima costs $1,133 versus $1,839 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 Kagoshima. 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.