Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Nagano

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagano: $1,180 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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 Nagano
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Nagano Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Nagano

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,180

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Nagano

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,180 in Nagano, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Nagano $1,180

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,942 in Nagano, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Nagano $1,942

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,705 in Nagano, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Nagano $2,705

Nosara costs about 56% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Nagano is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.27 ¥991

96.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$40.83 ¥6,451

49.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.94 ¥781

52.23%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.37 ¥533

30.86%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.06 ¥167

64.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.75 ¥119

74.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.46 ¥388

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.09 ¥488

44.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.37 ¥216

13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.70 ¥269

77.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.73 ¥589

-32.71%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.99 ¥314

79.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.18 ¥1,608

-27.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.08 ¥961

73.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.50 ¥2,290

-3.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.78 ¥913

-59.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.84 ¥448

-43.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.88 ¥455

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.07 ¥643

-60.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.52 ¥398

50.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.63 ¥415

40.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.27 ¥201

-11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.80 ¥126

232.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.81 ¥602

35.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.43 ¥1,015

209.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.73 ¥274

67.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.11 ¥333

72.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.62 ¥256

-30.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$50.6 ¥7,987

43.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.12 ¥493

-31.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.64 ¥417

-40.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$20.77 ¥3,281

-58.98%

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

$21.4K ¥3.4M

0.75%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.2K ¥2.9M

89.60%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$130 ¥20.5K

-25.96%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.11 ¥3,810

48.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$12.46 ¥1,969

330.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$52.9 ¥8,361

35.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.36 ¥1,953

-36.17%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$640 ¥101.1K

-22.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-19.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$62.8 ¥9,924

-14.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$36.95 ¥5,838

49.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$61.3 ¥9,685

27.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$104 ¥16.4K

-23.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$504 ¥79.7K

56.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$323 ¥51.1K

145.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,231 ¥194.6K

219.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$797 ¥126.0K

77.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,473 ¥706.8K

54.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,575 ¥248.9K

-22.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$622 ¥98.3K

38.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.64

226.52%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nagano: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Nagano

$323 27.4% 59.3% $471

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Nagano

$289 24.5% 18% $63

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Nagano

$131 11.1% 38.1% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Nagano

$167 14.1% 10.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Nagano

$119 10.1% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Nagano

$78 6.6% 11.1% $9.7

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Nagano

$73 6.2% 15.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $504 in Nagano. 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 39% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $41.00 in Nagano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $289 – making Nagano the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Nagano

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

20:44 8:44 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

372,760

💱 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 Nagano 13,100 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Nagano

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 Nagano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 56% more than Nagano, 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 $1,770 in Nagano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nagano, 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 $41.00 in Nagano. 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 $1,180 in Nagano. That's a gap of about 56%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nagano, where all-in costs run around $1,180, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Nagano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nagano costs $1,180 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 Nagano. 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.