Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kamiyama and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kamiyama: $1,235 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kamiyama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,235
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Kamiyama vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kamiyama $1,235
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,928 per month in Kamiyama vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kamiyama $1,928
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,621 per month in Kamiyama vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kamiyama $2,621
  • Nosara $3,814

Kamiyama is about 33% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kamiyama sits 9% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kamiyama
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.73 ¥1,063
$12.34 ₡5,535
-45.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.01 ¥5,372
$61.3 ₡27.5K
-44.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.49 ¥868
$7.76 ₡3,481
-29.25%
Cappuccino
$3.09 ¥487
$4.44 ₡1,992
-30.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 ¥180
$1.79 ₡803
-36.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 ¥120
$1.29 ₡580
-41.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.13 ¥336
$3.24 ₡1,451
-34.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 ¥507
$4.43 ₡1,985
-27.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kamiyama
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 ¥241
$1.55 ₡696
-1.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.58 ¥250
$3.08 ₡1,380
-48.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.89 ¥772
$2.53 ₡1,133
93.28%
Eggs
$2.29 ¥362
$3.45 ₡1,546
-33.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.03 ¥1,584
$7.32 ₡3,284
37.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.43 ¥1,016
$10.24 ₡4,594
-37.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.27 ¥2,412
$14.10 ₡6,326
8.30%
Apples (1kg)
$5.46 ¥863
$2.29 ₡1,027
138.43%
Banana (1kg)
$2.65 ¥419
$1.64 ₡737
61.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.95 ¥624
$4.79 ₡2,149
-17.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.61 ¥728
$1.64 ₡735
181.10%
Potato (1kg)
$3.21 ¥507
$3.85 ₡1,727
-16.62%
Onion (1kg)
$2.56 ¥404
$3.75 ₡1,681
-31.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 ¥210
$1.09 ₡488
22.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥132
$2.59 ₡1,160
-67.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 ¥674
$5.12 ₡2,295
-16.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.40 ¥1,011
$19.92 ₡8,931
-67.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 ¥300
$2.80 ₡1,255
-32.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 ¥377
$3.52 ₡1,580
-32.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Kamiyama
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 ¥252
$1.22 ₡549
30.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.1 ¥8,865
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-24.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.45 ¥545
$2.17 ₡973
58.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.01 ¥475
$1.56 ₡698
92.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.71 ¥3,271
$8.67 ₡3,886
138.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ¥189
$1.55 ₡697
-23.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.1K ¥3.6M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-33.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.0K ¥2.7M
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-56.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kamiyama
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$139 ¥21.9K
$94.8 ₡42.5K
46.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.16 ¥4,291
$36.15 ₡16.2K
-24.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.67 ¥5,319
$53.1 ₡23.8K
-36.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kamiyama
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 ¥9,033
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-22.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.14 ¥2,234
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-60.31%
Cinema Ticket
$13.05 ¥2,061
$7.91 ₡3,548
64.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kamiyama
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$282 ¥44.6K
$490 ₡219.9K
-42.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K ¥2.1M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
10.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kamiyama
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.36 ¥6,850
$54.8 ₡24.6K
-20.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.72 ¥4,695
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-46.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.5 ¥9,557
$80.4 ₡36.0K
-24.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.7 ¥14.3K
$77.9 ₡34.9K
16.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kamiyama
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$463 ¥73.2K
$801 ₡359.1K
-42.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥52.4K
$790 ₡354.1K
-58.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$879 ¥138.8K
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-78.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$670 ¥105.9K
$1,409 ₡632.0K
-52.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,777 ¥438.8K
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-60.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,786 ¥282.2K
$1,236 ₡554.3K
44.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kamiyama
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$887 ₡397.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.81
8.62
-79.00%

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

Last update for Kamiyama: 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
Kamiyama
$332
Nosara
$790 138% $458
Groceries & Markets
Kamiyama
$307
Nosara
$350 13.9% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kamiyama
$199
Nosara
$184 7.7% $15
Eating Out
Kamiyama
$132
Nosara
$213 61.1% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Kamiyama
$101
Nosara
$121 19.9% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Kamiyama
$83
Nosara
$90 7.6% $6.3
Getting Around
Kamiyama
$81
Nosara
$89 9.6% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Kamiyama 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 $34.00 in Kamiyama versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $350 – making Kamiyama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Kamiyama
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
12:14 12:14 PM
21:14 9:14 PM
15 h behind Kamiyama
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,300
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 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
  • Kamiyama Nosara 13,560 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kamiyama
  • 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
Kamiyama vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Kamiyama?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 49%, 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 $1,853 per month in Kamiyama and $2,753 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 Kamiyama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Kamiyama and in Nosara?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Kamiyama or in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Kamiyama and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Kamiyama or in Nosara?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kamiyama, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Kamiyama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Kamiyama or Nosara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kamiyama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Kamiyama 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 Kamiyama. 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.

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