Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumamoto and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumamoto: $1,275 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Kumamoto
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Kumamoto Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kumamoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,275

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,275 in Kumamoto versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Kumamoto $1,275
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,968 in Kumamoto versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Kumamoto $1,968
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,661 in Kumamoto versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Kumamoto $2,661
Nosara $3,818

Living in Kumamoto costs roughly 31% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kumamoto is 6% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.11 ¥1,123

$12.35 ₡5,539

-42.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.31 ¥4,947

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-48.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 ¥955

$7.52 ₡3,373

-19.68%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥507

$4.41 ₡1,978

-27.21%

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

$0.99 ¥157

$1.74 ₡780

-43.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$1.31 ₡587

-41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ¥593

$3.28 ₡1,471

14.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ¥353

$4.47 ₡2,004

-49.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.56 ₡701

-13.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 ¥292

$3.02 ₡1,355

-38.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.70 ¥1,058

$2.51 ₡1,125

166.93%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥293

$3.57 ₡1,603

-47.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.45 ¥2,915

$7.43 ₡3,333

148.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 ¥865

$10.52 ₡4,717

-48.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 ¥2,944

$13.97 ₡6,265

33.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 ¥565

$2.35 ₡1,052

51.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ¥292

$1.61 ₡720

14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ¥457

$4.80 ₡2,152

-39.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$1.61 ₡724

110.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 ¥347

$3.80 ₡1,703

-42.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ¥414

$3.69 ₡1,657

-29.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.13 ₡507

-6.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥154

$2.66 ₡1,191

-63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 ¥611

$5.18 ₡2,321

-25.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 ¥890

$19.88 ₡8,916

-71.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥262

$2.90 ₡1,300

-42.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥300

$3.63 ₡1,626

-47.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.12 ₡504

22.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.2 ¥9,037

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-21.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 ¥608

$2.14 ₡958

79.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 ¥329

$1.57 ₡703

32.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.13 ¥2,865

$8.52 ₡3,823

112.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥175

$1.52 ₡682

-27.63%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

1.84%

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

$17.7K ¥2.8M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-48.70%

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

$207 ¥32.7K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

115.14%

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

$24.29 ¥3,838

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-32.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.05 ¥5,222

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-38.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.67 ¥7,215

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-36.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 ¥1,735

$7.89 ₡3,539

39.16%

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

$126 ¥20.0K

$494 ₡221.6K

-74.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥1.9M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

2.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.65 ¥7,685

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-9.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.06 ¥4,118

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-52.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 ¥10.4K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-15.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.35 ¥7,323

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-41.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥82.8K

$788 ₡353.4K

-33.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ¥51.3K

$794 ₡356.2K

-59.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 ¥175.3K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-71.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 ¥114.1K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-49.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,521 ¥714.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-34.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,747 ¥276.0K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

42.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Kumamoto: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kumamoto

$325 25.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 145% $470

Groceries & Markets

Kumamoto

$313 24.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 12.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kumamoto

$265 20.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 29.8% $79

Eating Out

Kumamoto

$144 11.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 47.4% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Kumamoto

$84 6.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 42.9% $36

Getting Around

Kumamoto

$77 6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 13.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Kumamoto

$68 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 29.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $524 in Kumamoto and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kumamoto vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $352 per month, with Kumamoto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kumamoto

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

23:49 11:49 PM

15 h behind Kumamoto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

738,865

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 18, 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 18, 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

Kumamoto Nosara 13,890 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Kumamoto
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

Kumamoto vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kumamoto and Nosara differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,275 vs $1,839 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,912 in Kumamoto and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $524 in Kumamoto versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 27% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $126 in Kumamoto versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,275 in Kumamoto versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kumamoto and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.