Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naha and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Naha: $1,343 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Naha
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Naha Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Naha

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,343

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,343 per month in Naha vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Naha $1,343
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,092 per month in Naha vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Naha $2,092
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,840 per month in Naha vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Naha $2,840
Nosara $3,814

Naha is about 27% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Naha sits 1% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.12 ¥808

$12.34 ₡5,535

-58.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.17 ¥4,767

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-50.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥821

$7.76 ₡3,481

-32.99%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥493

$4.44 ₡1,992

-29.73%

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

$1.29 ¥203

$1.79 ₡803

-27.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥137

$1.29 ₡580

-32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ¥405

$3.24 ₡1,451

-20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 ¥619

$4.43 ₡1,985

-11.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ¥247

$1.55 ₡696

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥327

$3.08 ₡1,380

-32.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 ¥612

$2.53 ₡1,133

52.96%

Eggs

$1.74 ¥276

$3.45 ₡1,546

-49.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.91 ¥2,829

$7.32 ₡3,284

144.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 ¥758

$10.24 ₡4,594

-53.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.38 ¥3,536

$14.10 ₡6,326

58.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 ¥580

$2.29 ₡1,027

60.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ¥425

$1.64 ₡737

64.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ¥351

$4.79 ₡2,149

-53.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 ¥814

$1.64 ₡735

214.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$3.85 ₡1,727

-37.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 ¥390

$3.75 ₡1,681

-34.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ¥196

$1.09 ₡488

13.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥124

$2.59 ₡1,160

-69.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$5.12 ₡2,295

-24.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.28 ¥992

$19.92 ₡8,931

-68.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥304

$2.80 ₡1,255

-31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ¥510

$3.52 ₡1,580

-8.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ¥626

$2.17 ₡973

82.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 ¥537

$1.56 ₡698

117.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.52 ¥1,820

$8.67 ₡3,886

32.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.55 ₡697

-31.61%

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

$21.0K ¥3.3M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-39.35%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-60.10%

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

$96.0 ¥15.2K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

1.27%

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

$24.81 ¥3,919

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-31.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 ¥8,305

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 ¥1,922

$7.91 ₡3,548

53.86%

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

$329 ¥52.0K

$490 ₡219.9K

-32.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,565 ¥879.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-53.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.25 ¥7,782

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-10.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.99 ¥3,632

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-58.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥12.4K

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 ¥15.2K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

23.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 ¥113.3K

$801 ₡359.1K

-10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 ¥88.8K

$790 ₡354.1K

-28.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ¥183.0K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-71.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 ¥179.8K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-19.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,337 ¥211.2K

$887 ₡397.6K

50.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

8.62

-74.13%

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

Last update for Naha: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Naha

$562 41.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 40.4% $227

Groceries & Markets

Naha

$328 24.4%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 6.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Naha

$173 12.9%

Nosara

$184 10% 6.1% $11

Eating Out

Naha

$123 9.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 72.6% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Naha

$111 8.3%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 8.7% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Naha

$24 * 1.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 268% $65

Getting Around

Naha

$21 * 1.6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 323% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $717 in Naha versus $801 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 51% higher in Naha, 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 $30.00 in Naha versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $350 – making Naha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Naha

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

15 h behind Naha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

317,625

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 20, 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 20, 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

Naha Nosara 14,610 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Naha
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

Naha vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 37% more than Naha, 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 $2,015 per month in Naha and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Naha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,343 in Naha and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 37%.

Kindergarten costs $329 per month in Naha and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Naha, where all-in costs run around $1,343, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Naha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Naha costs $1,343 versus $1,835 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 Naha. 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.