Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Maebashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Maebashi: $1,216 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Maebashi
Learn more

Maebashi Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Maebashi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Maebashi

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,216 in Maebashi, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Maebashi $1,216

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,956 in Maebashi, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Maebashi $1,956

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,696 in Maebashi, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Maebashi $2,696

Nosara costs about 51% more than Maebashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Maebashi is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.39 ¥694

181.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$31.47 ¥4,972

94.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.16 ¥815

45.74%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.48 ¥392

77.82%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.77 ¥122

125.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.61 ¥96.7

114.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.25 ¥355

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.23 ¥510

38.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.22 ¥192

27.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.53 ¥241

97.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.35 ¥213

85.93%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.63 ¥258

119.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.66 ¥2,473

-52.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.42 ¥698

138.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.95 ¥2,679

-17.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$8.15 ¥1,288

-71.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.03 ¥478

-46.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.91 ¥776

-2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$7.65 ¥1,208

-78.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.96 ¥626

-4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$4.75 ¥751

-22.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.17 ¥184

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 ¥77.8

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.94 ¥623

31.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.35 ¥1,477

112.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.50 ¥395

16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.07 ¥327

75.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.51 ¥238

-25.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$52.8 ¥8,335

37.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.18 ¥502

-32.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.83 ¥447

-44.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$31.19 ¥4,927

-72.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.07 ¥169

42.06%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.3K ¥3.4M

1.34%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

125.09%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$118 ¥18.6K

-18.23%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.00 ¥3,633

56.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.59 ¥4,992

69.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$51.5 ¥8,141

38.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$31.51 ¥4,978

10.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.16 ¥1,764

-29.30%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$575 ¥90.8K

-14.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.4K ¥2.3M

-17.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$49.39 ¥7,803

9.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$35.13 ¥5,550

57.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.7 ¥9,586

28.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$98.9 ¥15.6K

-19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$529 ¥83.6K

49.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$337 ¥53.3K

135.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,091 ¥172.3K

261.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$743 ¥117.4K

91.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,756 ¥593.4K

84.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,859 ¥293.6K

-34.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,696 ¥267.9K

-49.08%

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 Maebashi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Maebashi

$337 27.7% 57.6% $457

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Maebashi

$343 28.2% 2.5% $8.9

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Maebashi

$104 8.5% 51.1% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Maebashi

$172 14.2% 7.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Maebashi

$110 9% 8.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Maebashi

$74 6.1% 15.5% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Maebashi

$76 6.3% 12.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $529 in Maebashi. 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 96% higher in Maebashi, 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 $31.00 in Maebashi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $343 – making Maebashi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Maebashi

🕒 Local time

04:43 4:43 AM

19:43 7:43 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

324,644

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Maebashi 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Maebashi

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 Maebashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,824 in Maebashi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maebashi, 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 $31.00 in Maebashi. 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 $1,216 in Maebashi. That's a gap of about 51%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maebashi, where all-in costs run around $1,216, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Maebashi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maebashi – 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 Maebashi. 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.