Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kagoshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,133 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Kagoshima
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Kagoshima Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kagoshima

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 Kagoshima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,133 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kagoshima $1,133

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,887 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kagoshima $1,887

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,641 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kagoshima $2,641

Nosara costs about 62% more than Kagoshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Kagoshima is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.46 ¥1,020

91.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$32.45 ¥5,127

88.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.42 ¥856

38.75%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.91 ¥459

51.55%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.01 ¥159

72.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.75 ¥118

74.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.51 ¥396

30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.18 ¥344

105.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.36 ¥216

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.14 ¥180

164.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$5.13 ¥811

-51.07%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.06 ¥325

73.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$18.48 ¥2,919

-59.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.47 ¥863

92.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.94 ¥2,993

-26.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.67 ¥580

-35.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.85 ¥293

-12.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.78 ¥439

72.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.31 ¥523

-51.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.05 ¥324

85.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.83 ¥290

101.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.06 ¥168

6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.80 ¥126

232.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.88 ¥613

33.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.90 ¥932

236.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.14 ¥180

154.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.89 ¥298

92.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.27 ¥201

-11.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$53.8 ¥8,497

35.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.00 ¥631

-46.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.03 ¥321

-22.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$11.27 ¥1,780

-24.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.05 ¥166

44.76%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

-0.95%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.5K ¥2.8M

97.09%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$189 ¥29.8K

-48.99%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.87 ¥3,928

44.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.44 ¥4,809

76.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$51.3 ¥8,107

39.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.81 ¥1,865

-33.19%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$124 ¥19.5K

299.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.3K ¥1.9M

-3.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$49.61 ¥7,838

8.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$25.70 ¥4,060

115.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$63.6 ¥10.0K

22.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$75.9 ¥12.0K

4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$541 ¥85.5K

45.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$222 ¥35.1K

257.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,015 ¥160.3K

288.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$748 ¥118.2K

89.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,824 ¥604.2K

80.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,821 ¥287.8K

-32.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,831 ¥289.3K

-52.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.97

337.56%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kagoshima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kagoshima

$222 19.6% 72% $572

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kagoshima

$295 26.1% 16.1% $57

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kagoshima

$127 11.2% 40.2% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kagoshima

$244 21.5% 31.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kagoshima

$97 8.5% 19.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kagoshima

$75 6.6% 14.2% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kagoshima

$73 6.5% 16.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $541 in Kagoshima. 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 112% higher in Kagoshima, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $32.00 in Kagoshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $295 – making Kagoshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Kagoshima

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

593,128

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

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Nosara Kagoshima 14,000 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kagoshima

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 Kagoshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 62% more than Kagoshima, 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 $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,700 in Kagoshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 35% less in Kagoshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $124 in Kagoshima. 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 Kagoshima, where all-in costs run around $1,133, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kagoshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kagoshima costs $1,133 versus $1,839 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 Kagoshima. 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.