Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Obihiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Obihiro: $1,213 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Obihiro
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,213
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Obihiro

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,213 in Obihiro, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Obihiro $1,213

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,909 in Obihiro, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Obihiro $1,909

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,605 in Obihiro, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Obihiro $2,605

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

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Obihiro is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Obihiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$7.85 ¥1,241
57.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$31.69 ¥5,007
93.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$5.09 ¥804
52.46%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$3.01 ¥475
47.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$1.20 ¥189
49.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$1.63 ¥257
-20.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
$2.67 ¥421
21.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
$3.07 ¥485
44.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Obihiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$1.52 ¥239
1.97%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$1.54 ¥243
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$4.25 ¥672
-40.47%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$2.08 ¥329
65.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$10.14 ¥1,602
-27.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$6.60 ¥1,043
55.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$16.76 ¥2,648
-15.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$3.67 ¥580
-37.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$2.36 ¥373
-30.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$2.92 ¥462
64.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$4.28 ¥677
-61.68%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$2.48 ¥392
55.24%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$2.45 ¥387
53.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$1.28 ¥202
-14.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$0.80 ¥126
223.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$3.84 ¥607
33.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
$6.64 ¥1,050
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,255
$1.88 ¥297
48.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,580
$2.16 ¥341
62.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Obihiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$1.44 ¥228
-15.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
$52.6 ¥8,309
40.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$3.07 ¥485
-29.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$2.80 ¥442
-44.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$18.38 ¥2,904
-52.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$1.10 ¥175
40.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$21.2K ¥3.3M
63.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$14.9K ¥2.4M
159.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Obihiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$134 ¥21.2K
-29.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$24.54 ¥3,877
47.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$30.44 ¥4,809
74.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Obihiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$52.4 ¥8,280
40.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$12.14 ¥1,918
-34.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Obihiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$514 ¥81.2K
-4.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$12.7K ¥2.0M
-6.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Obihiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$49.05 ¥7,750
11.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$31.43 ¥4,966
77.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$61.4 ¥9,700
30.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$88.1 ¥13.9K
-11.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Obihiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$527 ¥83.3K
51.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$334 ¥52.7K
136.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$1,122 ¥177.2K
256.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$729 ¥115.1K
93.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$4,177 ¥660.0K
69.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$1,784 ¥281.9K
-30.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Obihiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
-
-
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 20, 2026

Last update for Obihiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Obihiro
$334 57.7% $456
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Obihiro
$289 17.3% $60
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Obihiro
$145 31.8% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Obihiro
$189 2.7% $5
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Obihiro
$103 14.5% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Obihiro
$77 14.4% $13
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Obihiro
$75 15% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $527 in Obihiro. 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 $32.00 in Obihiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $289 – making Obihiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇯🇵 Obihiro
🕒 Local time
13:10 1:10 PM
04:10 4:10 AM
15 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
166,536
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Obihiro 12,330 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Obihiro

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 Obihiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Obihiro compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,213 in Obihiro – roughly 51% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Obihiro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,819 in Obihiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Obihiro?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Obihiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Obihiro?
Public transport costs about 41% less in Obihiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Obihiro?
Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $514 in Obihiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Obihiro, where all-in costs run around $1,213, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Obihiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Obihiro?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,213 in Obihiro to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Obihiro safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Obihiro?
If budget matters most, go with Obihiro. 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.

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