Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Fukushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukushima: $1,165 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Fukushima
Learn more

Fukushima Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Fukushima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,165

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Fukushima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Fukushima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,165 in Fukushima.

Nosara $1,835
Fukushima $1,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,826 in Fukushima.

Nosara $2,825
Fukushima $1,826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $2,487 in Fukushima.

Nosara $3,814
Fukushima $2,487

Living in Nosara is roughly 58% more expensive than in Fukushima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Fukushima is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$5.89 ¥930

109.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$29.92 ¥4,727

104.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$4.45 ¥703

74.38%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.55 ¥404

74.12%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$0.94 ¥148

90.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.67 ¥106

92.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.61 ¥412

24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.12 ¥493

41.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.47 ¥232

5.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.55 ¥244

98.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.08 ¥645

-37.99%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.08 ¥328

65.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.38 ¥1,639

-29.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.69 ¥1,057

53.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$16.64 ¥2,629

-15.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.77 ¥596

-39.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.26 ¥357

-27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.80 ¥443

71.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.07 ¥642

-59.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.48 ¥391

55.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.57 ¥406

45.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.29 ¥205

-15.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.84 ¥132

208.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.89 ¥615

31.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$6.82 ¥1,077

192.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.84 ¥291

52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.13 ¥337

65.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.49 ¥235

-18.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$48.19 ¥7,613

53.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.18 ¥502

-31.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.69 ¥425

-42.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$21.15 ¥3,342

-59.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.02 ¥161

51.96%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.2K ¥3.2M

71.44%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$15.6K ¥2.5M

148.55%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$126 ¥19.9K

-24.86%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$21.15 ¥3,342

70.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$30.04 ¥4,746

76.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$51.6 ¥8,154

42.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.70 ¥1,849

-32.39%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$453 ¥71.6K

8.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.4K ¥1.8M

4.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$46.93 ¥7,414

16.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$36.00 ¥5,688

55.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$64.6 ¥10.2K

24.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$84.5 ¥13.3K

-7.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$535 ¥84.5K

49.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$333 ¥52.5K

137.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,018 ¥160.9K

293.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$705 ¥111.4K

99.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$3,897 ¥615.6K

81.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,857 ¥293.4K

-33.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.21

290.05%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Fukushima

$333 28.5% 57.9% $457

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Fukushima

$288 24.7% 17.6% $62

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Fukushima

$117 10% 45.1% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Fukushima

$177 15.2% 3.6% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Fukushima

$104 9% 13.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Fukushima

$75 6.4% 16.3% $15

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Fukushima

$71 6.1% 20.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $535 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $30.00 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $288 per month, with Fukushima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Fukushima

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

03:34 3:34 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

282,693

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Fukushima 12,860 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Fukushima

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

Nosara vs Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $1,748 in Fukushima 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: $801 in Nosara versus $535 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,165 in Fukushima versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fukushima 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, Nosara and Fukushima 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 Fukushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.