Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kamiyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Kamiyama: $1,235 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Kamiyama
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Kamiyama Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Kamiyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kamiyama

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,235 in Kamiyama, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Kamiyama $1,235

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,928 in Kamiyama, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Kamiyama $1,928

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,621 in Kamiyama, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Kamiyama $2,621

Nosara costs about 49% more than Kamiyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Kamiyama is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$6.73 ¥1,063

83.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$34.01 ¥5,372

80.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$5.49 ¥868

41.35%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.09 ¥487

43.69%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.14 ¥180

57.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.76 ¥120

69.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.13 ¥336

52.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.21 ¥507

38.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.52 ¥241

1.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.58 ¥250

94.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.89 ¥772

-48.26%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.29 ¥362

50.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.03 ¥1,584

-27.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.43 ¥1,016

59.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$15.27 ¥2,412

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.46 ¥863

-58.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.65 ¥419

-38.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.95 ¥624

21.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.61 ¥728

-64.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.21 ¥507

19.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.56 ¥404

46.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.33 ¥210

-18.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.83 ¥132

212.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$4.27 ¥674

19.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$6.40 ¥1,011

211.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.90 ¥300

47.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.39 ¥377

47.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.59 ¥252

-23.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$56.1 ¥8,865

31.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.45 ¥545

-37.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$3.01 ¥475

-48.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$20.71 ¥3,271

-58.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.19 ¥189

30.25%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.1K ¥3.6M

49.56%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

128.12%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$139 ¥21.9K

-31.54%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$27.16 ¥4,291

33.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$33.67 ¥5,319

57.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$57.2 ¥9,033

29.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$14.14 ¥2,234

151.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$13.05 ¥2,061

-39.39%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$282 ¥44.6K

73.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.1K ¥2.1M

-9.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$43.36 ¥6,850

26.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$29.72 ¥4,695

88.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$60.5 ¥9,557

32.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$90.7 ¥14.3K

-14.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$463 ¥73.2K

72.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$332 ¥52.4K

138.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$879 ¥138.8K

355.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$670 ¥105.9K

110.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,777 ¥438.8K

154.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,786 ¥282.2K

-30.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.81

376.24%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Kamiyama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Kamiyama

$332 26.8% 58% $458

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Kamiyama

$307 24.9% 12.2% $43

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Kamiyama

$132 10.7% 37.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Kamiyama

$199 16.1% 8.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Kamiyama

$101 8.2% 16.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Kamiyama

$83 6.7% 7.1% $6.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Kamiyama

$81 6.6% 8.7% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $463 in Kamiyama. 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $34.00 in Kamiyama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $307 – making Kamiyama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Kamiyama

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

13:05 1:05 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

5,300

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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

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Between locations

Nosara Kamiyama 13,560 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kamiyama

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 Kamiyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,853 in Kamiyama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 14% 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 $61.0 in Nosara and $34.00 in Kamiyama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kamiyama, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Kamiyama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kamiyama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kamiyama. 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.