Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kawagoe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawagoe: $1,084 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Kawagoe
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Kawagoe Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kawagoe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,084

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kawagoe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,084 in Kawagoe.

Nosara $1,839
Kawagoe $1,084

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,747 in Kawagoe.

Nosara $2,828
Kawagoe $1,747

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,409 in Kawagoe.

Nosara $3,818
Kawagoe $2,409

Living in Nosara is roughly 70% more expensive than in Kawagoe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Kawagoe is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.38 ¥1,008

93.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$40.89 ¥6,460

49.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.02 ¥793

49.80%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.41 ¥539

29.33%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.93 ¥146

87.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.49 ¥78.0

167.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.92 ¥304

70.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.64 ¥417

69.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.16 ¥183

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.29 ¥203

134.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.59 ¥566

-30.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.02 ¥320

76.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.14 ¥970

21.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.24 ¥987

68.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.67 ¥2,318

-4.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.61 ¥887

-58.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.30 ¥364

-30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.81 ¥445

70.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.11 ¥492

-48.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.55 ¥403

49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.87 ¥296

97.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.30 ¥206

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.74 ¥117

259.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.86 ¥609

34.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.87 ¥770

308.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.74 ¥275

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.03 ¥320

78.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.98 ¥471

-62.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$53.7 ¥8,488

35.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.19 ¥504

-32.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.73 ¥431

-42.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$20.42 ¥3,226

-58.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.11 ¥175

36.94%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$15.7K ¥2.5M

37.38%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$12.9K ¥2.0M

168.27%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$131 ¥20.7K

-26.43%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$22.38 ¥3,536

60.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.77 ¥5,020

68.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$43.88 ¥6,932

63.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$32.08 ¥5,068

8.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.12 ¥1,757

-29.05%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$315 ¥49.8K

56.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,305 ¥996.1K

88.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$31.87 ¥5,035

69.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.30 ¥5,261

66.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$43.84 ¥6,926

77.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$96.3 ¥15.2K

-17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$417 ¥65.8K

89.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$273 ¥43.1K

190.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$844 ¥133.4K

366.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$594 ¥93.8K

139.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,561 ¥404.5K

169.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,760 ¥278.0K

-30.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,614 ¥255.0K

-46.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

1.6

438.75%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kawagoe

$273 25.2% 65.6% $521

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kawagoe

$257 23.7% 27% $95

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kawagoe

$128 11.8% 39.7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kawagoe

$185 17.1% 0.4% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kawagoe

$92 8.5% 23.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kawagoe

$66 6.1% 24.3% $21

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kawagoe

$83 7.6% 5.3% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $417 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $41.00 in Kawagoe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $257 per month, with Kawagoe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Kawagoe

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

10:33 10:33 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

350,745

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Kawagoe 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kawagoe

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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Kawagoe differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $1,084 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Kawagoe. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $417 in Kawagoe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,084 in Kawagoe – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,084 in Kawagoe versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.