Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matsudo and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsudo: $1,200 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Matsudo
Learn more

Matsudo Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Matsudo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,200

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,200 in Matsudo versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Matsudo $1,200
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,896 in Matsudo versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Matsudo $1,896
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,593 in Matsudo versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Matsudo $2,593
Nosara $3,818

Living in Matsudo costs roughly 35% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Matsudo is 11% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 ¥1,023

$12.35 ₡5,539

-47.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.31 ¥5,895

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-39.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 ¥793

$7.52 ₡3,373

-33.24%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥542

$4.41 ₡1,978

-22.22%

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

$1.10 ¥174

$1.74 ₡780

-36.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥124

$1.31 ₡587

-40.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 ¥387

$3.28 ₡1,471

-25.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ¥501

$4.47 ₡2,004

-29.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.56 ₡701

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥260

$3.02 ₡1,355

-45.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ¥567

$2.51 ₡1,125

43.03%

Eggs

$2.09 ¥330

$3.57 ₡1,603

-41.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ¥1,613

$7.43 ₡3,333

37.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 ¥957

$10.52 ₡4,717

-42.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.09 ¥2,226

$13.97 ₡6,265

0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 ¥759

$2.35 ₡1,052

104.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ¥361

$1.61 ₡720

42.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 ¥464

$4.80 ₡2,152

-38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 ¥666

$1.61 ₡724

161.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 ¥417

$3.80 ₡1,703

-30.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 ¥421

$3.69 ₡1,657

-27.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.13 ₡507

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥120

$2.66 ₡1,191

-71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ¥599

$5.18 ₡2,321

-26.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 ¥981

$19.88 ₡8,916

-68.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥258

$2.90 ₡1,300

-43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥318

$3.63 ₡1,626

-44.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ¥241

$1.12 ₡504

36.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ¥8,521

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-25.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥501

$2.14 ₡958

48.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 ¥433

$1.57 ₡703

74.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.67 ¥2,950

$8.52 ₡3,823

119.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥164

$1.52 ₡682

-31.58%

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

$21.4K ¥3.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-0.81%

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

$15.7K ¥2.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-54.65%

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

$130 ¥20.5K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

34.88%

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

$21.89 ¥3,458

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-39.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 ¥4,772

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-43.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 ¥8,832

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-21.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 ¥1,957

$7.89 ₡3,539

57.03%

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

$628 ¥99.3K

$494 ₡221.6K

27.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

25.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 ¥8,670

$53.9 ₡24.2K

1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.28 ¥5,257

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-39.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.5 ¥9,718

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-21.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ¥11.3K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 ¥72.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-42.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ¥54.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-56.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 ¥183.3K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-70.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.6K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,559 ¥720.3K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-34.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,840 ¥290.7K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

50.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

8.62

-73.90%

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

Last update for Matsudo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Matsudo

$348 29%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 129% $447

Groceries & Markets

Matsudo

$279 23.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 26.3% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matsudo

$182 15.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 2.1% $3.8

Eating Out

Matsudo

$134 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 57.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Matsudo

$100 8.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 20.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Matsudo

$81 6.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 8.3% $6.7

Getting Around

Matsudo

$77 6.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 13.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $456 in Matsudo and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Matsudo vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $352 per month, with Matsudo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Matsudo

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

13:32 1:32 PM

15 h behind Matsudo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

485,803

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Matsudo Nosara 13,040 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Matsudo
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

Matsudo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,800 in Matsudo 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: $456 in Matsudo versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Matsudo runs roughly 35% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $628 in Matsudo versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,200 in Matsudo versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Matsudo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Matsudo 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 Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.