Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawasaki and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawasaki: $1,481 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
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Kawasaki Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,481

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,481 per month in Kawasaki vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kawasaki $1,481
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,245 per month in Kawasaki vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kawasaki $2,245
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,009 per month in Kawasaki vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kawasaki $3,009
Nosara $3,818

Kawasaki is about 19% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kawasaki and Nosara sit above the global median – Kawasaki by 10%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$12.35 ₡5,539

-37.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 ¥5,924

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-38.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 ¥793

$7.52 ₡3,373

-33.24%

Cappuccino

$2.69 ¥426

$4.41 ₡1,978

-39.00%

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

$1.59 ¥251

$1.74 ₡780

-8.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥137

$1.31 ₡587

-33.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ¥509

$3.28 ₡1,471

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥484

$4.47 ₡2,004

-31.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥241

$1.56 ₡701

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥244

$3.02 ₡1,355

-48.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 ¥669

$2.51 ₡1,125

68.53%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥333

$3.57 ₡1,603

-40.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 ¥1,751

$7.43 ₡3,333

49.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 ¥1,047

$10.52 ₡4,717

-36.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.37 ¥2,587

$13.97 ₡6,265

17.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.27 ¥991

$2.35 ₡1,052

166.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 ¥428

$1.61 ₡720

68.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 ¥783

$4.80 ₡2,152

3.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 ¥842

$1.61 ₡724

231.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 ¥517

$3.80 ₡1,703

-13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 ¥483

$3.69 ₡1,657

-17.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥179

$1.13 ₡507

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥130

$2.66 ₡1,191

-69.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥605

$5.18 ₡2,321

-26.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 ¥1,483

$19.88 ₡8,916

-52.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥377

$2.90 ₡1,300

-17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ¥429

$3.63 ₡1,626

-25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 ¥300

$1.12 ₡504

69.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 ¥8,072

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-29.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥485

$2.14 ₡958

43.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 ¥484

$1.57 ₡703

94.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.85 ¥2,978

$8.52 ₡3,823

121.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.52 ₡682

-30.26%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

1.76%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-55.41%

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

$124 ¥19.6K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

28.75%

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

$23.61 ¥3,729

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-34.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.45 ¥4,810

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-43.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ¥8,560

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-24.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.22 ¥982

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-82.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 ¥1,925

$7.89 ₡3,539

54.37%

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

$568 ¥89.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

14.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ¥2.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

22.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 ¥7,914

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-7.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.45 ¥5,285

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-39.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-17.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 ¥11.2K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 ¥119.2K

$788 ₡353.4K

-4.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 ¥90.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 ¥202.4K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-67.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 ¥161.2K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-28.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,698 ¥742.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-32.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,131 ¥494.7K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

155.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,542 ¥401.6K

$864 ₡387.3K

194.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

8.62

-76.57%

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

Last update for Kawasaki: 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

Kawasaki

$576 38.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 38% $219

Groceries & Markets

Kawasaki

$332 22.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 6.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kawasaki

$178 12%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 4.3% $7.7

Eating Out

Kawasaki

$141 9.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 50% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Kawasaki

$98 6.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 22% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Kawasaki

$79 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11.2% $8.8

Getting Around

Kawasaki

$77 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 13% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $754 in Kawasaki 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 194% higher in Kawasaki, 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 $37.00 in Kawasaki versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $352 – making Kawasaki the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:52 9:52 AM

18:52 6:52 PM

15 h behind Kawasaki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,538,262

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 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).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kawasaki Nosara 13,070 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Kawasaki
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

Kawasaki vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 24% more than Kawasaki, 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 $2,222 per month in Kawasaki 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 Kawasaki, 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 $37.00 in Kawasaki 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 $1,481 in Kawasaki and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 24%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kawasaki, where all-in costs run around $1,481, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kawasaki it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kawasaki costs $1,481 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 Kawasaki. 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.