Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagasaki and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagasaki: $1,277 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Nagasaki
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Nagasaki Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nagasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,277 in Nagasaki versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Nagasaki $1,277
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,859 in Nagasaki versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Nagasaki $1,859
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,441 in Nagasaki versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Nagasaki $2,441
Nosara $3,818

Living in Nagasaki 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: Nagasaki is 5% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.00 ¥789

$12.35 ₡5,539

-59.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.95 ¥2,994

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-69.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 ¥778

$7.52 ₡3,373

-34.57%

Cappuccino

$3.76 ¥594

$4.41 ₡1,978

-14.74%

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

$1.05 ¥166

$1.74 ₡780

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥113

$1.31 ₡587

-45.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ¥355

$3.28 ₡1,471

-31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥356

$4.47 ₡2,004

-49.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥244

$1.56 ₡701

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 ¥299

$3.02 ₡1,355

-37.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.32 ¥998

$2.51 ₡1,125

151.79%

Eggs

$2.02 ¥319

$3.57 ₡1,603

-43.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 ¥1,531

$7.43 ₡3,333

30.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 ¥502

$10.52 ₡4,717

-69.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 ¥3,028

$13.97 ₡6,265

37.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 ¥586

$2.35 ₡1,052

57.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 ¥296

$1.61 ₡720

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ¥435

$4.80 ₡2,152

-42.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 ¥530

$1.61 ₡724

108.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 ¥340

$3.80 ₡1,703

-43.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 ¥402

$3.69 ₡1,657

-30.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ¥170

$1.13 ₡507

-5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥146

$2.66 ₡1,191

-65.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥628

$5.18 ₡2,321

-23.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 ¥977

$19.88 ₡8,916

-68.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥260

$2.90 ₡1,300

-43.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥292

$3.63 ₡1,626

-49.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 ¥261

$1.12 ₡504

47.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ¥8,518

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-25.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ¥625

$2.14 ₡958

85.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 ¥321

$1.57 ₡703

29.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.87 ¥2,823

$8.52 ₡3,823

109.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.52 ₡682

-29.61%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

1.74%

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

$17.7K ¥2.8M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-48.80%

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

$209 ¥33.0K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

116.99%

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

$24.63 ¥3,892

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-31.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.77 ¥5,178

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-38.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 ¥7,281

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-35.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 ¥1,772

$7.89 ₡3,539

42.21%

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

$126 ¥19.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

-74.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥1.9M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

3.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.78 ¥7,864

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-7.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.03 ¥4,113

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-53.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 ¥10.5K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-14.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.35 ¥7,480

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-40.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ¥84.6K

$788 ₡353.4K

-32.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥60.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-52.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 ¥188.5K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-69.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 ¥108.0K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-51.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,200 ¥663.6K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-39.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,759 ¥277.9K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

43.72%

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 Nagasaki: 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

Nagasaki

$380 29.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 109% $414

Groceries & Markets

Nagasaki

$279 21.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 26.3% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nagasaki

$266 20.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 30.3% $81

Eating Out

Nagasaki

$123 9.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 72.8% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Nagasaki

$85 6.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 40.6% $35

Getting Around

Nagasaki

$75 5.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 16.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nagasaki

$69 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 27.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Nagasaki and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Nagasaki vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $352 per month, with Nagasaki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nagasaki

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

00:04 12:04 AM

15 h behind Nagasaki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

409,118

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 →

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Between locations

Nagasaki Nosara 13,950 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nagasaki
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

Nagasaki vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagasaki is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,915 in Nagasaki 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: $535 in Nagasaki versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nagasaki – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,277 in Nagasaki versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nagasaki but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Nagasaki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nagasaki 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, Nagasaki 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 Nagasaki 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.