Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kawasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawasaki: $1,481 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
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Kawasaki Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,481

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kawasaki

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,481 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kawasaki $1,481

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,245 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kawasaki $2,245

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,009 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kawasaki $3,009

Nosara costs about 24% more than Kawasaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Kawasaki sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Kawasaki by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.72 ¥1,220

59.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.50 ¥5,924

63.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.02 ¥793

49.80%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.69 ¥426

63.94%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.59 ¥251

9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.87 ¥137

50.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.22 ¥509

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.06 ¥484

46.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.52 ¥241

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.55 ¥244

94.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.23 ¥669

-40.66%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.11 ¥333

69.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.09 ¥1,751

-33.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.63 ¥1,047

58.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.37 ¥2,587

-14.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.27 ¥991

-62.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.71 ¥428

-40.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.95 ¥783

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.33 ¥842

-69.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.27 ¥517

16.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.06 ¥483

20.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.14 ¥179

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.82 ¥130

224.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.83 ¥605

35.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.39 ¥1,483

111.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.39 ¥377

21.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.71 ¥429

33.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.90 ¥300

-41.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$51.1 ¥8,072

42.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.07 ¥485

-30.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.06 ¥484

-48.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$18.85 ¥2,978

-54.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.06 ¥167

43.40%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-1.73%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

124.27%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$124 ¥19.6K

-22.33%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.61 ¥3,729

52.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.45 ¥4,810

75.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$54.2 ¥8,560

32.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$6.22 ¥982

461.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.18 ¥1,925

-35.22%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$568 ¥89.8K

-13.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.5K ¥2.3M

-18.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$50.1 ¥7,914

7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.45 ¥5,285

65.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

20.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$70.9 ¥11.2K

12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$754 ¥119.2K

4.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$576 ¥90.9K

37.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,281 ¥202.4K

207.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,021 ¥161.2K

39.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,698 ¥742.2K

47.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,131 ¥494.7K

-60.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,542 ¥401.6K

-66.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.02

326.73%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kawasaki: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kawasaki

$576 38.9% 27.5% $219

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kawasaki

$332 22.4% 5.7% $20

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kawasaki

$141 9.5% 33.3% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kawasaki

$178 12% 4.2% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kawasaki

$98 6.7% 18% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kawasaki

$79 5.3% 10.1% $8.8

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kawasaki

$77 5.2% 11.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $754 in Kawasaki. 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 194% higher in Kawasaki, 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 $37.00 in Kawasaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $332 – making Kawasaki the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

10:31 10:31 AM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,538,262

💱 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 Kawasaki 13,070 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kawasaki

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 Kawasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 24% more than Kawasaki, 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 $2,222 in Kawasaki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $37.00 in Kawasaki. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,481 in Kawasaki. That's a gap of about 24%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kawasaki, where all-in costs run around $1,481, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kawasaki it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kawasaki costs $1,481 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 Kawasaki. 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.