Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Naha

For one person, living is cheaper in Naha: $1,343 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Naha
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Naha Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Naha

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Naha

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,343 in Naha, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Naha $1,343

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,092 in Naha, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Naha $2,092

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,840 in Naha, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Naha $2,840

Nosara costs about 37% more than Naha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Naha is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$5.12 ¥808

141.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$30.17 ¥4,767

103.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$5.20 ¥821

49.23%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.12 ¥493

42.31%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.29 ¥203

38.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.87 ¥137

48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.56 ¥405

26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.92 ¥619

13.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.56 ¥247

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.07 ¥327

48.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$3.87 ¥612

-34.63%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.74 ¥276

98.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$17.91 ¥2,829

-59.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$4.80 ¥758

113.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$22.38 ¥3,536

-37.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.67 ¥580

-37.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.69 ¥425

-39.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.22 ¥351

115.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.15 ¥814

-68.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.39 ¥377

61.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.47 ¥390

51.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.24 ¥196

-12.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.79 ¥124

227.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.88 ¥613

31.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$6.28 ¥992

217.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.92 ¥304

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.23 ¥510

8.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.96 ¥626

-45.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$3.40 ¥537

-54.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$11.52 ¥1,820

-24.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.06 ¥168

46.23%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.0K ¥3.3M

64.89%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

150.64%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$96.0 ¥15.2K

-1.25%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$24.81 ¥3,919

45.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$52.6 ¥8,305

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$12.17 ¥1,922

-35.00%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$329 ¥52.0K

48.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,565 ¥879.2K

113.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$49.25 ¥7,782

11.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$22.99 ¥3,632

143.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$78.8 ¥12.4K

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$96.3 ¥15.2K

-19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$717 ¥113.3K

11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$562 ¥88.8K

40.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,158 ¥183.0K

245.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,138 ¥179.8K

23.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$1,337 ¥211.2K

-33.67%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Naha: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Naha

$562 41.9% 28.8% $227

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Naha

$328 24.4% 6.2% $22

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Naha

$123 9.2% 42.1% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Naha

$173 12.9% 5.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Naha

$111 8.3% 8% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Naha

$24 * 1.8% 72.8% $65

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Naha

$21 * 1.6% 76.4% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $717 in Naha. 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 51% higher in Naha, 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 $30.00 in Naha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $328 – making Naha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Naha

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

23:15 11:15 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

317,625

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Naha 14,610 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Naha

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 Naha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 37% more than Naha, 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 $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,015 in Naha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,835 in Nosara and $1,343 in Naha. That's a gap of about 37%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $329 in Naha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Naha, where all-in costs run around $1,343, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Naha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Naha costs $1,343 versus $1,835 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 Naha. 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.