Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Nara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nara: $1,215 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
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Nosara Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Nara
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Nara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Nara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Nara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,215 in Nara.

Nosara $1,839
Nara $1,215

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,828 in Nara.

Nosara $2,828
Nara $1,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,442 in Nara.

Nosara $3,818
Nara $2,442

Living in Nosara is roughly 51% more expensive than in Nara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Nara is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.40 ¥1,011

92.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$31.96 ¥5,049

91.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.10 ¥805

47.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.48 ¥392

77.82%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.30 ¥206

33.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.75 ¥119

74.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.10 ¥489

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.06 ¥483

46.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.50 ¥238

4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.34 ¥211

125.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.05 ¥640

-38.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.13 ¥336

67.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.60 ¥1,517

-22.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.01 ¥1,108

50.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$17.82 ¥2,815

-21.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.41 ¥539

-31.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.99 ¥315

-19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.01 ¥317

138.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.01 ¥633

-59.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.57 ¥248

142.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.16 ¥184

218.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.12 ¥177

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.81 ¥128

228.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.82 ¥604

35.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.49 ¥1,500

109.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.93 ¥305

50.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.13 ¥337

70.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.55 ¥245

-27.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$72.0 ¥11.4K

0.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.23 ¥510

-33.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.83 ¥447

-44.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$15.70 ¥2,480

-45.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.11 ¥175

36.94%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.9K ¥3.5M

-1.25%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

131.79%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$115 ¥18.2K

-16.55%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.28 ¥3,836

47.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.63 ¥4,840

74.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$82.2 ¥13.0K

-12.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$7.44 ¥1,176

369.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.85 ¥1,872

-33.42%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$511 ¥80.8K

-3.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.8K ¥2.0M

-7.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$48.43 ¥7,652

11.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.90 ¥4,882

79.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$59.5 ¥9,398

30.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$88.7 ¥14.0K

-10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$404 ¥63.8K

95.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$333 ¥52.7K

138.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$810 ¥128.0K

386.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$544 ¥86.0K

160.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,669 ¥421.6K

158.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,959 ¥309.5K

-37.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,110 ¥175.3K

-22.18%

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 Nara: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Nara

$333 27.4% 58% $461

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Nara

$282 23.2% 20% $71

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Nara

$126 10.4% 40.5% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Nara

$170 14% 8.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Nara

$102 8.4% 14.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Nara

$106 8.7% 21.2% $19

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Nara

$96 7.9% 9.7% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $404 in Nara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nara pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $32.00 in Nara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $282 per month, with Nara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇵 Nara

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

14:23 2:23 PM

15 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

355,280

💱 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 Nara 13,400 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Nara

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 Nara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Nara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $404 in Nara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nara – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,215 in Nara – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Nara versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nara but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Nara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Nara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.