Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Morioka

For one person, living is cheaper in Morioka: $1,190 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Morioka
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Morioka Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Morioka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Morioka

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,190 in Morioka, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Morioka $1,190

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,943 in Morioka, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Morioka $1,943

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

Nosara $3,818
Morioka $2,696

Nosara costs about 55% more than Morioka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Morioka is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.13 ¥969

101.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$31.46 ¥4,971

94.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.15 ¥813

46.02%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.96 ¥468

48.99%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.20 ¥189

45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.79 ¥124

65.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.66 ¥421

23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.11 ¥491

43.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.46 ¥230

6.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.55 ¥244

94.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.23 ¥668

-40.66%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.03 ¥320

75.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.04 ¥1,428

-17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.42 ¥1,172

41.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$17.65 ¥2,788

-20.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.97 ¥627

-40.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.24 ¥355

-28.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.10 ¥489

54.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.29 ¥678

-62.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.56 ¥405

48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.22 ¥352

66.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.18 ¥187

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.94 ¥148

182.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.13 ¥653

25.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.81 ¥1,076

191.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.68 ¥266

72.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.33 ¥368

55.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.50 ¥236

-25.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$54.5 ¥8,603

33.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.13 ¥494

-31.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.63 ¥415

-40.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$21.32 ¥3,368

-60.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.09 ¥172

39.45%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.2K ¥3.2M

6.78%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

128.81%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$132 ¥20.8K

-26.90%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.69 ¥3,743

51.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.46 ¥4,970

70.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$51.7 ¥8,167

38.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.07 ¥1,749

-28.73%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$545 ¥86.1K

-9.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.2K ¥1.9M

-2.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$50.8 ¥8,018

6.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$35.59 ¥5,623

55.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$57.1 ¥9,025

36.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$96.3 ¥15.2K

-17.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$552 ¥87.1K

42.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$323 ¥51.0K

146.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,157 ¥182.8K

240.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$842 ¥133.0K

68.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,122 ¥651.2K

67.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,502 ¥237.3K

-18.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.21

290.05%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Morioka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Morioka

$323 27.1% 59.4% $471

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Morioka

$294 24.7% 16.5% $58

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Morioka

$127 10.7% 39.8% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Morioka

$187 15.7% 0.6% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Morioka

$108 9.1% 10.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Morioka

$74 6.2% 15.5% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Morioka

$77 6.5% 12% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $552 in Morioka. 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 $31.00 in Morioka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $294 – making Morioka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Morioka

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

15:43 3:43 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

289,731

💱 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 Morioka 12,680 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Morioka

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 Morioka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,190 in Morioka – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,785 in Morioka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 20% 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 $31.00 in Morioka. 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 Morioka, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Morioka 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 $1,190 in Morioka 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 Morioka. 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.