Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kyoto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,229 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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 Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kyoto

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,229 in Kyoto, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kyoto $1,229

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,987 in Kyoto, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kyoto $1,987

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,745 in Kyoto, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kyoto $2,745

Nosara costs about 50% more than Kyoto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Kyoto is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.52 ¥1,504

29.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$31.84 ¥5,031

92.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.00 ¥791

50.40%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.35 ¥529

31.64%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.83 ¥132

109.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.73 ¥115

79.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.18 ¥503

3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.51 ¥870

-18.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.55 ¥244

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.63 ¥258

85.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$5.74 ¥907

-56.27%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.12 ¥335

68.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.57 ¥1,353

-13.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.58 ¥1,197

38.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.70 ¥1,690

30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.16 ¥815

-54.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.27 ¥359

-29.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.94 ¥781

-2.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.51 ¥555

-54.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.94 ¥307

95.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.66 ¥262

122.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.18 ¥187

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.99 ¥156

168.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.86 ¥610

34.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.52 ¥1,189

164.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.56 ¥247

85.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.27 ¥517

11.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.48 ¥234

-24.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$63.5 ¥10.0K

14.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.25 ¥513

-34.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.77 ¥596

-58.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$28.62 ¥4,521

-70.23%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

-0.79%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

128.26%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$102 ¥16.1K

-5.28%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.50 ¥3,712

52.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.15 ¥4,921

72.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$52.3 ¥8,265

36.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$19.00 ¥3,001

83.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.06 ¥1,905

-34.58%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$642 ¥101.5K

-23.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,412 ¥1.0M

84.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$56.8 ¥8,980

-5.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$45.66 ¥7,214

21.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$69.4 ¥11.0K

12.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$105 ¥16.5K

-23.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$552 ¥87.1K

42.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$325 ¥51.4K

144.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,743 ¥275.4K

125.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$766 ¥121.0K

85.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,241 ¥354.0K

208.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,270 ¥200.7K

-3.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,889 ¥298.5K

-54.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.23

286.55%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kyoto

$325 26.5% 59% $469

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kyoto

$291 23.7% 17.4% $61

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kyoto

$165 13.4% 22.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kyoto

$156 12.7% 15.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kyoto

$124 10.1% 3.6% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kyoto

$76 6.2% 12.5% $11

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kyoto

$91 7.4% 5% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $552 in Kyoto. 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 119% higher in Kyoto, 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 Kyoto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $291 – making Kyoto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

16:20 4:20 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,475,183

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Kyoto 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kyoto

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 Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,229 in Kyoto – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,844 in Kyoto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 21% 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 $32.00 in Kyoto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kyoto, where all-in costs run around $1,229, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kyoto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,229 in Kyoto to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kyoto. 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.