Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Morioka and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Morioka: $1,190 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Morioka
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Morioka Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Morioka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,190

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Morioka vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Morioka $1,190
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,943 per month in Morioka vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Morioka $1,943
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,696 per month in Morioka vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Morioka $2,696
Nosara $3,818

Morioka is about 35% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Morioka sits 12% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.13 ¥969

$12.35 ₡5,539

-50.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.46 ¥4,971

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-48.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥813

$7.52 ₡3,373

-31.52%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥468

$4.41 ₡1,978

-32.88%

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

$1.20 ¥189

$1.74 ₡780

-31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥124

$1.31 ₡587

-39.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 ¥421

$3.28 ₡1,471

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ¥491

$4.47 ₡2,004

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.56 ₡701

-6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥244

$3.02 ₡1,355

-48.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 ¥668

$2.51 ₡1,125

68.53%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$3.57 ₡1,603

-43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 ¥1,428

$7.43 ₡3,333

21.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.42 ¥1,172

$10.52 ₡4,717

-29.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.65 ¥2,788

$13.97 ₡6,265

26.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 ¥627

$2.35 ₡1,052

68.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ¥355

$1.61 ₡720

39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 ¥489

$4.80 ₡2,152

-35.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 ¥678

$1.61 ₡724

166.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 ¥405

$3.80 ₡1,703

-32.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 ¥352

$3.69 ₡1,657

-39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ¥187

$1.13 ₡507

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥148

$2.66 ₡1,191

-64.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ¥653

$5.18 ₡2,321

-20.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 ¥1,076

$19.88 ₡8,916

-65.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥266

$2.90 ₡1,300

-42.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ¥368

$3.63 ₡1,626

-35.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.12 ₡504

33.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 ¥8,603

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-25.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$2.14 ₡958

46.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 ¥415

$1.57 ₡703

67.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.32 ¥3,368

$8.52 ₡3,823

150.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥172

$1.52 ₡682

-28.29%

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

$20.2K ¥3.2M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-6.35%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-56.30%

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

$132 ¥20.8K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

36.81%

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

$23.69 ¥3,743

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-33.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.46 ¥4,970

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-41.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,167

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-27.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.07 ¥1,749

$7.89 ₡3,539

40.30%

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

$545 ¥86.1K

$494 ₡221.6K

10.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ¥1.9M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

3.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 ¥8,018

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 ¥5,623

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-35.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.1 ¥9,025

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-26.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 ¥15.2K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥87.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 ¥51.0K

$794 ₡356.2K

-59.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 ¥182.8K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-70.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 ¥133.0K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-40.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,122 ¥651.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-40.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ¥237.3K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

22.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

8.62

-74.36%

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

Last update for Morioka: 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

Morioka

$323 27.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 146% $471

Groceries & Markets

Morioka

$294 24.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 19.7% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Morioka

$187 15.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 0.6% $1.1

Eating Out

Morioka

$127 10.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 66.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Morioka

$108 9.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 11.3% $12

Getting Around

Morioka

$77 6.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 13.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Morioka

$74 6.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 18.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Morioka 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Morioka versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $352 – making Morioka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Morioka

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

23:57 11:57 PM

15 h behind Morioka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

289,731

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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Highest

Between locations

Morioka Nosara 12,680 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Morioka
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

Morioka vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,190 in Morioka, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Morioka 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 Morioka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Morioka and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Morioka, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Morioka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,190 in Morioka to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Morioka. 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.